Motomiya Daisuke and the Chamber of Secrets
by NeoX7
Summary: Daisuke and V-mon receive a warning from a strange, impish creature who says that if they return to Butaibo, disaster will strike. And it does. Someone in turning Butaibo students to stone. Could it be...Daisuke himself?
1. Dobu's Warning

Well, I hope you liked the last chapter of my previous story and that you enjoy the second story of the series. Just one last warning: I changed Nakamura's partner from Renamon to White and BlackPawnChessmon.

* * *

It was a brilliant, sunny day. Daisuke and V-mon were out on a park; they crossed the grass and slumped down on the garden bench and laid down.

It was July 31st, Daisuke's birthday, and today he was turning 13.

Daisuke was wearing a long-sleeve blue shirt, khaki pants, and black shoes.

"Happy birthday to me…" Daisuke sighed as he looked at the blue sky filled with clouds.

He was so bored. No cards, no presents. Underage wizards weren't allowed to use magic outside of school.

Not that their whole year at Butaibo had been fun. At the very end of last term, Daisuke and V-mon had come face to face with none other than Lord Zoltel. Zoltel might be a ruin of his former self, but he was still terrifying, still cunning, still determined to regain power. Daisuke had slipped through Zoltel's clutches a second time, but it was a narrow escape, and even now, weeks later, Daisuke and V-mon kept waking in the night, drenched in cold sweat, wondering where Zoltel was now, remembering his livid face, his wide, mad eyes.

The Ishida's remarriage had been just a few days ago. Right after the vows Takeru and Yamato set up a date with Daisuke, V-mon, and Jun for them to go to their new vacation house in the outskirts of the city, which they had just recently bought. Daisuke and V-mon were starting to strongly suspect Yamato was starting to develop some feelings for Jun, judging by the way he was acting around her.

Hikari's, Tailmon's, Taichi's, and Agumon's parents had moved back to a home in the Wizarding world.

During the vacations, Jun, Chizuru, Mantarou, and Momoe had each gained their own Digimons, a Lunamon, a Falcomon, a Koemon, and a Kamemon.

Daisuke looked at the hedge and sat bolt upright on the garden bench. He had been staring absent-mindedly into the hedge and _the hedge was staring back_. Two enormous green eyes had appeared among the leaves, causing Daisuke to jump to his feet.

"What's wrong Daisuke?" V-mon asked, alarmed at his friend sudden movements.

"There's-" Daisuke looked at V-mon and then back at the hedge and saw the eyes were gone. "Where did it go? *Sigh*! Maybe I'm just imagining things. Come on V-mon. Jun's expecting us for the party." Daisuke said as he and V-mon left.

Just like last time, the party was a pretty small but pleasant. After it, Yamato confirmed with Jun and the others whether they would be going to their summer home, which they confirmed.

After Daisuke and V-mon helped Jun and Lunamon clean the place, they went to their bedroom, slipped inside, closed the door, and turned to collapse on their bed.

The trouble was, there was already someone sitting on it.

Daisuke and V-mon managed not to shout out, but it was a close thing.

The little creature on the bed had large, bat-like eyes and bulging green eyes the size of baseballs. Daisuke knew immediately that this was what had been watching him out at the park in the hedge that morning.

The creature slipped off the bed and bowed so low that the end of its long, thin nose touched the carpet. Daisuke and V-mon noticed it was wearing what looked like an old, used pillowcase, with rips for arm, and leg-holes.

"Er…hello?" Daisuke and V-mon said nervously.

"Motomiya Daisuke and V-mon!" Said the creature in a high-pitched voice that Daisuke and V-mon were sure would carry across the hall. "So long has Dobu wanted to met you, sirs…Such an honor it is…"

"Th-thank you?" V-mon said, he and Daisuke edging along the wall and sinking into their desk chairs, next to Yushiba, who was asleep in her large cage. He wanted to ask "What are you?", but though it would sound too rude, so instead "Who are you?"

"Dobu, sir. Just Dobu. Dobu, the house-elf." The creature said.

"Oh, really?" Daisuke said. "Er…I don't want to be rude or anything, but, er, this really isn't a great time to have a house-elf in my bedroom.

The last thing Daisuke and V-mon wanted was for Jun and Lunamon to get in trouble because of them.

"Is there any particular reason why you're here?" Daisuke asked.

"Oh yes, sirs." Dobu said earnestly. "Dobu has come to tell you, sirs…it is difficult, sirs…Dobu woders where to begin…"

"Sit down." V-mon said politely, pointing at the bed.

To their horror, the elf burst into tears. Very noisy tears.

"_S-sit down…_" He wailed. "_Never…never ever…_"

"He's sorry." Daisuke whispered. "He didn't men to offend you or anything."

"Offend Dobu? Dobu has _never_ been asked to sit down by a wizard or a Digimon…Like an _equal_." Dobu choked.

Daisuke, trying to say "Shh!" and looking comforting at the same time, ushered Dobu back onto the bed where he sat hiccoughing, looking like a large, ugly doll. At last, he managed to control himself, and sat with his great eyes fixed on Daisuke and V-mon in an expression of watery adoration.

"You can't have met many decent wizards then." Daisuke said, trying to cheer him up.

Dobu shook is head. Then, without warning, he leapt up and started banging his head furiously on the window, shouting "**Bad** Dobu! **Bad** Dobu!"

"Don't…! What are you doing? !" V-mon hissed, springing up and pulling Dobu back. Daisuke took Dobu from his arms and put him back onto the bed. Yushiba uad woken up with a particularly loud screech and was now beating her wings wildly against the bars of the cage.

"Dobu had to punish himself, sirs. Dobu almost spoke ill of his family, sirs…" The elf said, who had gone slightly cross-eyed.

"Your family?" V-mon asked.

"The wizard family Dobu serves, sirs…Dobu is a house-elf, bound to serve one house and one family forever…"

"Do they know you're here?" Daisuke asked curiously.

Dobu shuddered.

"Oh no, sirs, no…Dobu will have to punish himself most grievously for coming to see you, sirs. Dobu will shut his ears in the oven door for this. If they ever knew, sirs-"

"But won't they notice if you shut your ears in the oven door?"

"Dobu doubts it, sirs. Dobu is always having to punish himself for something, sirs. Sometimes they remind me to do extra punishments…" Dobu said.

"But why don't you leave? Escape?" Daisuke asked.

"A house-elf must be set free, sirs. And the family will never set Dobu free…Dobu will serve the family until he dies, sirs…" Dobu explained.

Daisuke and V-mon stared.

"Can't anyone help you? Can't we?" V-mon asked.

Almost at once, V-mon wished he hadn't spoken. Dobu dissolved again into wails of gratitude.

"Please," Daisuke whispered frantically "please be quiet. If Jun and Lunamon found out you're here…"

"V-mon asks if he can help Dobu…Dobu has heard of your greatness, sir, but of your goodness, Dobu never knew…" Dobu said.

V-mon, who was feeling distinctly hot in the face, said "Whatever you've heard about mine and Daisuke's greatness is a load of rubbish. We aren't even top of year at Butaibo; that's Miyako, Hikari, Hawkmon, and Tailmon; they-"

"V-mon and Motomiya is humble and modest. Motomiya Daisuke and V-mon speak not of their triumph over He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named-" Said Dobu reverently, his orb-like eyes aglow.

"Zoltel?" Daisuke and V-mon said.

Dobu clapped his hands over his bat ears and moaned. "Speak not the name, sirs! Speak not the name!"

"Sorry." Daisuke said quickly.

Dobu leaned toward Daisuke, his eyes wide as headlight.

"Dobu heard tell that Motomiya Daisuke and V-mon met the Dark Lord for a second time just weeks ago…that Motomiya Daisuke escaped **yet again**." Dobu said hoarsely.

Daisuke nodded and Dobu's eyes suddenly shone with tears.

"Ah, sirs." He gasped, dabbing his face with a corner of the grubby pillowcase he was wearing. "Motomiya Daisuke and V-mon are valiant and bold! They have braved so many dangers already! But Dobu has come to protect Motomiya Daisuke and V-mon, to warn them, even if he _**does**_ have to shut his ears in the oven door latter…Motomiya Daisuke and V-mon must **not** go back to Butaibo." Dobu said.

There was a silence.

"W-what?" Daisuke stammered "But we've got to go back; term starts on September 1st. It's all that keeps me going. We don't **belong** here. We belong in your world, at Butaibo."

"No, no, no!" Dobu squeked, shaking his head so hard his ears flapped. "Motomiya Daisuke and V-mon must stay where they are safe. They are too important. If Motomiya Daisuke and V-mon go back to Butaibo, they will be in mortal danger."

"Why?" Daisuke said in surprise.

"There is a plot. A plot to make most terrible things happen at Butaibo School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Whispered Dobu, suddenly trembling all over. "Dobu has known for months, sirs. Motomiya Daisuke and V-mon must not put themselves in peril. They are too important, sirs!"

"What terrible things? Who's plotting?" V-mon asked at once.

Dobu made a funny choking noise and then banged his head frantically against the wall.

"All right! You can't tell us. I understand. But why are you warning **us**?" Daisuke cried, grabbing the elf's arm to stop him. A sudden, unpleasant struck him. "Hang on. This hasn't got anything to do with Zo…sorry, with You-Know-Who, has it? You could just shake or not." He added hastily as Dobu's head tilted worryingly close to the wall.

Slowly, Dobu shook his head.

"Not…not _He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named_, sirs…" Dobu said.

But Dobu's eyes were wide and he seemed to be trying to give Daisuke and V-mon a hint. Daisuke and V-mon, however, were completely lost.

"It isn't his Digimon, is it?" V-mon said.

Dobu shook his head, his eyes wider than ever.

"Well then, I can't think who else would have a chance of making horrible things happen at Butaibo. I mean, there're Damaro and Hyokomon for one thing. You do know who Damaro and Hyokomon are, don't you?" Daisuke asked.

Dobu bowed his head.

"Damaro Abura and Hyokomon are the greatest Headmasters Butaibo has ever had. Dobu knows, sirs. Dobu has heard Damaro's powers rival those of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named at the height of his strength. But, sirs-" Dobu's voice dropped to an urgent whisper "there are powers Damaro doesn't…powers no decent wizard…"

And before either Daisuke or V-mon could stop him, Dobu bounded off the bed, seized Daisuke's desk lamp, and started eating himself around the head with earsplitting yelps.

This time, V-mon took hold of Dobu while Daisuke yanked the lamp away from his hand.

"Motomiya Daisuke and V-mon must give their words that they will not return to Butaibo. Ah, sirs, this danger they must not face! Say you won't go back, sirs!" Dobu said.

"No!" Daisuke said angrily.

"Then Motomiya Daisuke and V-mon leave Dobu no choice." Dobu said.

"Dobu…what are you going to do?" Daisuke asked very slowly.

"Nothing…As long as you give your word." Dobu said. "Motomiya Daisuke and V-mon must say they're not going back to school-"

"Dobu…please…" Daisuke said.

"Say it, sirs-"

"We can't-" V-mon said.

Dobu gave them a tragic look.

"Then Dobu must do it, sirs, for Motomiya Daisuke and V-mon's own good." Dobu replied. And thus, he floated into the air, and with a crack like a whip, Dobu vanished.

"Why did he float before disappearing?" Daisuke asked.

"Beats me. But I wonder what's he gonna do." V-mon said.

"Dunno; but whatever it is, it can't be good." Daisuke said.

A few minutes later, V-mon suddenly heard noises that resembled a bird outside. He and Daisuke, along with Jun and Lunamon, who also heard the noise, went outside to see a huge barn owl swoop into the building, drop a letter, and swoop out again.

Jun opened the letter and read it out loud. It did not contain birthday greetings.

"Dear Motomiya-sans,

We have received intelligence that a Hover Charm was used at your place of residence this evening at twelve minutes past nine.

As you know, underage wizards are not allowed to perform spells outside of school, and further spellwork from your part may lead to expulsion from said school (Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery, 1875, Paragraph C).

We also ask you to remember that any magical activity that risks notice by members of the non-magical community (Muggles) is a serious offense under section 13 of the International Confederation of Warlocks' Statue of Secrecy.

Enjoy your holidays!

Yours sincerely,

Yakukai Norinaru

Improper Use of Magic Office

_Ministry of Magic_"

"Daisuke, you used magic? !" Jun shouted.

"No, I didn't! I swear!" Daisuke said, raising his arms defensively.

"Uh, great…Let's just make sure to not let anything magical go on around here so that we'll not get into any sort of trouble." Lunamon said as they all headed back inside.

As Daisuke and V-mon lay to sleep, the events that had just occurred earlier, and the message that Dobu had given them. What would happen if they didn't turn up at Butaibo? Would someone be sent to see why he hadn't come back?

* * *

Well, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Review please.


	2. The Burrow

I do not own anything

* * *

The morning after Dobu had paid a visit to Daisuke and V-mon, Daisuke, V-mon, Jun, and Lunamon were walking through the marshy lands filled with reeds that surrounded the entire area and patches of dry lake.

"We're here." Jun said as she pushed through the last reed and saw the house.

Daisuke and V-mon walked right behind Jun and Lunamon and looked out for the first time at Takeru's, Patamon's, Yamato's, and Gabumon's new house.

It looked as if it had once been a large stone pigpen, but extra rooms had been added here and there until it was several stories high and so crooked it looked as though it were held up by magic (which, Daisuke and V-mon reminded themselves, probably was). Four of five chimneys were perched on top of the red roof. A sign stuck in the ground near the entrance read "The Burrow".

Jun walked up to the door and knocked on the door. Shortly after, Yamato's and Takeru's mom opened the door.

"Ah, Jun-san, Daisuke-san, V-mon, Lunamon, good to see you." Natsuko said as she hugged them one by one.

"Good to see you too, Takaishi-san; or should I say Ishida-san?" Jun said, making Natsuko giggle a bit.

"Please, come in." Natsuko said as she stepped aside and opened the door more. "Boys, our guests are here!" Natsuko said.

As she said that, Hiroaki, Yamato's and Takeru's father, came out from the kitchen.

"Daisuke-san, V-mon, Jun-san, Lunamon." He said as he shook each of their hands.

"Hey Jun, Lunamon." Yamato said as he and Gabumon came from down the stairs.

"Hi." Jun replied.

Takeru came shortly behind them with Patamon by his side.

"Daisuke, we need to talk." Takeru said as he wrapped his arm around Daisuke's neck and half-accompanied, half-dragged Daisuke to the kitchen, their partner following them.

"What's been going on?" Takeru said as soon as they arrived in the kitchen. "Dad came home yesterday and said you'd gotten an official warning for using magic in the Muggle world-"

"It wasn't me. And how did he know?" Daisuke asked.

"He works for the Ministry." Takeru said. "You **know** we're not supposed to do spells outside of school…Doing magic outside school-"

"I told you, I didn't." Daisuke repeated.

"Then what happened?" Patamon asked.

"Call Yamato-san and Gabumon, they might want to hear this too." Daisuke said.

"Yamato-niichan, Gabumon, Ju-hmmm!" Daisuke quickly covered Takeru's mouth once he realized he was going to call his sister too.

"Not Jun or Lunamon, I don't want them to know about this." Daisuke hissed.

"Oh, sorry. I mean, only Yamato-niichan and Gabumon." Takeru said.

As Yamato and his Digimon came into the kitchen, and Yamato briefly looked back to see Jun talking with his parents like an adult.

"Wow, hard to believe she used to be that girl who followed me around everywhere." Yamato said. "And look at that. She's talking to my parents as if she's also an adult."

"Yeah, yeah, your wiped, your head over heels for her, we get the message." Daisuke and Takeru said.

"We got more important things." Patamon said.

"Which is?" Gabumon asked

"So, what's the story Daisuke?" Asked Patamon impatiently. "What's been happening?"

Daisuke told them all about Dobu, about the warning he had given Daisuke and V-mon. There was a long, shocked silence when he'd finished.

"Very fishy." Yamato said as he leaned against the wall and crossed his arms.

"Definitely dodgy." Gabumon agreed. "So he wouldn't even tell who's supposed to be plotting all this stuff?"

"I don't think he could. I told you every time he got close to letting something slip, he started banging his head against the wall." Daisuke said.

He saw Yamato, Takeru, Patamon, and Gabumon looked at each other.

"What, you think he was lying to us?" V-mon asked.

"Well, put it this way. House-elves have got powerful magic of their own, but they can't usually use it without their master's permission. I reckon old Dobu was sent to stop you from coming back to Butaibo. Someone's idea of a joke. Can you think of anyone at school with a grudge against you?" Yamato asked.

"Yes." Daisuke, V-mon, Takeru, and Patamon said together, instantly.

"Koaku Ryu and Dracomon." Daisuke said. "They hate us."

"Koaku Ryu." Yamato said with a scowl. "Koaku Yozei's son."

"I heard Dad talking about him. Was a big supporter of You-Know-Who." Patamon said.

"And when You-Know-Who disappeared." Gabumon said, looking at Daisuke and V-mon. "He came back saying he'd never meant any of it. Load of bullshit, Dad says he was right in You-Know-Who's inner circle."

Daisuke and V-mon heard these rumors about Koaku's and Dracomon's family before, and they didn't surprise him at all.

"I don't know whether the Koaku's own a house-elf…" Daisuke said.

"Well, whoever owns him will be an old wizarding family, and they'll be rich." Yamato said.

"Yeah, house-elves are for filthy-rich people. Mom's always wishing we had a house-elf to do the ironing." Patamn recalled. "House-elves come with big old manors and castles and places like that; you wouldn't catch one in our house."

Daisuke and V-mon were silent. Judging by the fact that Koaku Ryu and Dracomon usually had the best of everything, his family was rolling in wizard gold; they could just see Koaku and Dracomon stirring in a large manor house. Sending the family servant to stop Daisuke and V-mon from going back to Butaibo sounded exactly like the kind of thing Koaku and Dracmon would do. Had Daisuke and V-mon been stupid to take Dobu seriously?

"What does your dad do at the Ministry of Magic anyway?" V-mon asked, remembering that Hiroaki knew about the Hover Charm Dobu cast at their apartment.

"He works in the most boring department." Patamon said with a dull look. "The Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office."

"The _what_?"

"It has all to do with bewitching things that are Muggle-made, you know, in case they end up back in a Muggle shop or house. Like, last year, some old witch died and her tea set was sold to an antiques shop. This Muggle woman bought it, took it home, tried to serve her friends tea in it. It was a nightmare. Dad was working overtime for weeks."

"What happened?" Daisuke asked.

"The teapot went berserk and squirted boiling tea all over the place and one man ended up in the hospital with sugar tongs clamped to his nose. Dad was going frantic, it's only him and an old warlock called Honsuke the office. And they had to do Memory Charms and all sorts of stuff to cover it up."

"Come on, I'll show you my bedroom." Takeru said as he, Patamon, Daisuke and V-mon left the kitchen and down to a narrow passage way to an uneven staircase, zigzagging up through the house.

"So, what've you been up to lately?" Daisuke asked.

"Not much. Been meeting the others from time to time. Hikari-chan has been really weird about you lately; you have no idea how strange it is, although when you're around, she tries to cover it up, but I guess sometimes she only makes it worse." Takeru said. "By the way, do you still have a crush on her?"

Daisuke merely raised an eyebrow at the comment, before slowly shaking his head.

"Decided it would be better if we stayed friends. Besides, she clearly doesn't feel that way about me." Daisuke said, causing Takeru and Patamon to smirk, making him wonder what was so funny, but before he had the chance to ask, they arrived at Takeru's room.

Nearly everything in Takeru's room was a shade of light green: the bedspread, the walls, even the ceiling. Takeru's school spellbooks were stacked untidily in a corner, his magic wand was lying on his nightstand, next to his fat, grey rat, Tsurachi, who was snoozing in a patch of sun.

"Hope it isn't to troublesome for you. I'm right underneath the ghoul at the attic; he's always banging on the pipes and groaning." Takeru said nervouslyy.

But Daisuke, grinning widely, said "I really like this room. It's one of the best I've ever been to."

Takeru's ears went pink.

* * *

Well, I hope you liked the chapter. Also, I´d like to ask all my readers to support Japan in this time of need by donating $10 if possible to the Red Cross. Thank you and review please.


	3. At Blossoms and Fairs

I do not own anything

* * *

After their first visit, the Motomiyas had been going to the Burrow quite frequently. About three weeks after Daisuke, V-mon, Jun, and Lunamon had first gone to the Burrow, they once again found themselves in the place had become their second home.

One day, as they were all seated, talking, they heard a screech and looked out the window to see a gray owl flying towards them until it hit the window.

"…Bloody bird's a menace." Takeru said as he stood up and went to catch the owl. "Zaru, you're hopeless. Letters from school. Oh, look, they got Daisuke's and Jun-san's, too." Takeru said as he petted the owl's head and took the letter.

"Damaro and Hyokomon already know you're here Daisuke-san, Jun-san. Don't miss a trick, those men. You've got two of them each, too." Hiroaki said.

"Where did you learn that expression "bloody"?" Daisuke asked.

"My Grandpa. He's French and we would go from time to time to the UK. They use that expression sometimes there." Takeru said as he opened his letter.

For a few minutes there was silence as they all read the letters. Daisuke's and Jun's told them to catch the Butaibo Express as usual from the Shibuya Station on September 1st. There was also a list of the new books he'd need for the coming year.

"2nd year students will require:

The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2-by Gona Sakura

Break with a Banshee-by Urameshi Honatari

Gadding with Ghouls-by Urameshi Honatari

Holidays with Hags-by Urameshi Honatari

Travel with Trolls-by Urameshi Honatari

Voyages with Vampires-by Urameshi Honatari

Wandering with Werewolves-by Urameshi Honatari

Year with the Yeti-by Urameshi Honatari"

Yamato, who finished his list, peered over at Daisuke's.

"You've been told to get all Urameshi's books, too? ! The new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher must be a fan. Bet it's a witch." Yamato said.

Takeru looked at another letter addressed to him and stood up and tapped Daisuke's soldier and motion for him to follow him.

"So, what's up?" V-mon asked as they arrived in Takeru's room.

"I got Hikari's letter." Takeru said, showing them the letter.

"We met with her just a few days ago for her birthday, why right a letter?" Daisuke asked.

"When I told her she said that there were too many people around to talk about that. She decided it would be better if we kept this between only the three for now. I asked Yamato-niichan and Gabumon not to tell anyone."

Takeru then opened the letter and began reading it.

"Dear Takeru-kun, Patamon, and Daisuke-kun and V-mon if you're there,

I hope everything is all right. I'm really worried about what you told me about the house-elf in Daisuke-kun's and V-mon's home. We only have limited communication through letters; we should talk about it at Butaibo, when we're together and away from our parents. Also, take more care of your owl. The poor thing looks as if though another delivery might finish it off.

I'm busy with a bit of schoolwork, of course-"

"How _**can**_ she be? We're on vacation!" Takeru said in horror.

"And we're going to Tokyo this Saturday to buy my new books. Why don't we meet in Cornerside Street?

Love from Hikari.

PS-Tailmon says hi."

That Saturday, after a quick half a dozen bacon sandwiches each, they pulled on their coats, put on their coats, and Ms. Ishida took a flowerpot off the kitchen mantle piece and peered inside.

"We're running low, Hiroaki." Ms. Ishida sighed. "We're going to have to buy some more today…Ah, well, guests first! After you, Daisuke-san dear!"

And she offered him the flowerpot.

Daisuke stared at them all watching him.

"W-what am I supposed to do?" He stammered.

"He's never traveled by Floo powder, Mom. Sorry Daisuke, I forgot." Takeru said.

"Never? But how did you get to Cornerside Street to buy your school things last year?" Mr. Ishida said.

"I went on the Underground-"

"Really?" Mr. Ishida said.

"Floo powder's a lot quicker dear, but since you've never used it before-"

"He'll be all right, Mom." Yamato said. "Daisuke, V-mon, watch us first."

He took a pinch of the glittering powder out of the flowerpot, walked into the chimney along with Gabumon, and said "Cornerside Street!", and threw the powder to the ground.

With a roar, emerald flames erupted and rose higher than Yamato, who vanished the next second together with Gabumon.

Daisuke and V-mon were just staring wide-eyed at the chimney as the flames died down.

"You must speak clearly, dear." Mrs. Ishida told Daisuke and V-mon as she urged them to trying.

Shaking, trying hard to bear all this in mind, Daisuke took a pinch of Floo powder and, together with V-mon, walked right into the chimney.

"C-cornersitreet!" Daisuke stuttered as he threw the powder onto the ground, and he and V-mon became surrounded by green flames and disappeared.

"…What did he say?" Mrs. Ishida asked.

"Cornersitreet…" Jun responded, knowing this wasn't going to end well.

"That's what I thought he said."

(Meanwhile)

Daisuke and V-mon felt as if though they were being sucked down a giant drain. They seemed to be spinning very fast; the roaring in their ears was deafening. They tried to keep their eyes open, but the whirl of green flames made them feel sick.

Suddenly, they fell face forward onto the cold stone and Daisuke felt the left lens of his goggles shatter.

Dizzy and bruised, covered in soot, they got gingerly to their feet, and Daisuke took off his goggles to look at the damage.

"_Great_…" Daisuke muttered as he placed his goggles around his neck.

Dizzy and bruised, covered in soot, they got gingerly to their feet, and looked around. They were quite alone, but _where_ they were, they had no idea. All they could tell was that they were standing in what looked like a large, dimly lit wizard's shop, but nothing in here was ever likely to be on a Butaibo school list.

A glass case nearby held a withered hand on a cushion, a blood-stained pack of cards, and a staring glass eye. Evil-looking masks stared down from the walls, an assortment of human bones lay upon the counter, and rusty, spiked instruments hung from the ceiling. Even worse, the dark, narrow street Daisuke and V-mon could see through the dusty shop window was definitely not Cornerside Street.

The sooner they got out of here, the better. Noses still stinging from where it had hit hearth, Daisuke and V-mon made their way swiftly and silently toward the door, but before they'd got halfway toward it, four people four people appeared on the other side of the glass; and two of them were the very least people Daisuke and V-mon wanted to meet when they were lost and covered in soot: Koaku Ryu and Dracomon.

Daisuke and V-mon quickly looked around and V-mon spotted a large black cabinet to their left; he grabbed Daisuke, shot inside it and pulled the doors closed, leaving a small crack to peer through. Seconds later, a bell clanged and Koaku and Dracomon stepped into the shop.

The man that followed could only be Ryu's father. He had the same pale, pointed face and identical cold, grey eyes. And flying beside him, a Digimon that Daisuke and V-mon would've mistaken for Patamon, hadn't it been for the purple instead of orange color it had.

Mr. Koaku crossed the shop, looking lazily at the items on display, and rang a bell on the counter before turning to his son and saying "Touch nothing, Ryu."

Koaku, who had reached for the glass eye, said "I thought you were going to buy me a present."

"I said I would buy you a racing broom." His father said, drumming his fingers on the counter.

"What's the good of that if I'm not on the House team?" Koaku asked, looking sulky and bad-tempered. "Motomiya Daisuke got a Nimbus 2000 last year. Special permission from Damaro and Hyokomon so he could play for Goono. He's not even that good, it's just because he's **famous**…famous for having a stupid **scar** on his forehead…"

Koaku bent down to examine the shelf full of skulls.

"…everyone thinks he's so **smart**, wonderful **Motomiya** with his **scar** and his **broomstick**…"

"You have told me this at least a dozen times already. And may I remind you that it is not…prudent…to appear less than fond of Motomiya Daisuke and V-mon, not when most of our kind regard them as the heroes who made the Dark Lord disappear. Ah, Bura-san." Mr. Koaku said.

A stopping man had appeared behind the counter, smoothing his greasy hair back from his face.

"Koaku-san, Tsukaimon, what a pleasure to see you again; delighted." Mr. Bura said in a voice as oily as his hair. "And young Master Koaku and Master Dracomon, too. Charmed. How may I be of assistance? I must show you, just in today, a very reasonably priced…"

"I'm not buying today, Bura-san, but selling." Mr. Koaku said.

"Selling?" The smile faded slightly from Mr. Bura's face.

"You have heard, of course, that the Ministry is conducting more raids. I have a few, ah, items at home that might embarrass me, if the Ministry were to call…" Mr. Koaku said, taking a role of parchment from inside his pocket and unraveling it for Mr. Bura to read.

Mr. Bura fixed a pair of pince-nez to his nose and looked down the list.

"The Ministry wouldn't presume to trouble you, sir, surely?" Said Mr. Bura.

Mr. Koaku's lip curled.

"I have not been visited yet. The name Koaku still commands a certain respect, yet the Ministry grows ever more meddlesome. There are rules about a new Muggle Protection Act. No doubt that flea-bitten, Muggle-loving fool Ishida Hiroaki is behind it…"

Daisuke and V-mon felt a hot surge of anger.

"…and, as you see, certain of these poisons might make it _appear_…"

"I understand, sir, of course." Mr. Bura said. "Let me see…"

"Can I have **that**?" Ryu interrupted, pointing at the withered hand lying on its cushion.

"Ah, the Hand of Glory!" Mr. Bura said, abandoning Mr. Koaku's list and scurrying over to Ryu. "Insert a candle and it gives light only to the holder! Best friends of thieves and plunderers! Your son has a fine taste, sir."

"I hope my son will amount to more than a thief or a plunderer, Bura." Mr. Koaku said coldly, and Mr. Bura said quickly "No offense, sir, no offense meant."

"Though if his grades don't pick up, that may be all he is fit for." Said Mr. Koaku more coldly yet.

"It's not my fault. The teachers all have favorites, that Inoue Miyako and Yagami Hikari…" Ryu retorted.

"I would have thought you'd be ashamed that a girl of no wizard family and another one who knows nothing about the Wizarding world beat you in every exam." Mr. Koaku snapped.

"Ha!" Daisuke and V-mon said under their breaths, pleased to see Ryu looking both abashed and angry.

"It's the same all over. Wizard blood is counting less everywhere." Mr. Bura said.

"Not with me." Mr. Koaku said, his long nostrils flaring.

"No, sir, nor with me, sir." Mr. Baru said, with a deep bow.

"In that case, perhaps we can return to my list." Mr. Koaku said shortly. "I am in something of a hurry, Bura, I have important business elsewhere today…"

They started to haggle. Daisuke and V-mon watched nervously as Ryu and Dracomon drew nearer and nearer to their hiding place, examining the objects for sale. Ryu and Dracomon paused to examine a long coil of hangman's rope, and to read, smirking, the card propped on a magnificent necklace of opals, "Caution: Do Not Touch. Cursed-Has Claimed the Lives of Nine Muggle Owners to Date."

Ryu and Dracomon turned away and saw the cabinet right in front of them. They walked forward; Koaku stretched out his hand for the handle…

"Done." Mr. Koaku said at the counter. "Come, Ryu, Dracomon…"

Daisuke and V-mon wiped their forehead on their sleeve/forearm as Ryu and Dracomon turned away.

"Good day to you Bura-san. I'll expect you tomorrow at the manner to pick up the goods." Mr. Koaku said as they left.

The moment the door closed, Mr. Bura dropped his oily manner.

"Good day yourself, **Mr**. Koaku, and if the stories are true, you haven't sold me half of what's in your **manor**…"

Muttering darkly, Mr. Bura disappeared into a back room. Daisuke and V-mon waited for a minute in case he came back, then, quietly as they could, slipped out the cabinet, past the glass cases, and out of the shop door.

Getting outside, Daisuke and V-mon stared around. They had emerged into a dingy alleyway that seemed to be made up of shops devoted entirely to the Dark Arts and full of dark Digimon. The one they'd just left, Bura and Burkes, looked like the largest, but opposite was a nasty window display of shrunken heads and, two doors down, a large cage was alive with gigantic black spiders. Two shabby-looking wizards were watching them from the shadow of a doorway, muttering to each other. Feeling jumpy, Daisuke and V-mon set off, hoping against hope they'd be able to find a way out of there.

An old wooden street sign hanging over a shop selling poisonous candles told them they were Downer Street. This didn't help, as Daisuke and V-mon had never heard of such a place. They supposed Daisuke hadn't spoken clearly enough through his stuttering mouth back in the Ishida's fire. Trying to stay calm, they wandered what to do.

"Not lost are you, my dears?" Said a voice in Daisuke's ear, making him jump.

An aged witch stood in front of them, holding a tray of what looked horribly like whole human fingernails. She leered at them, showing mossy teeth. Daisuke and V-mon backed away.

"We're fine, thanks." Daisuke said. "We're just…"

"DAISUKE, V-MON? ! What do yeh think yer doing down there? !"

Daisuke's and V-mon's hearts leapt. So did the witch , a load of fingernails cascaded down over her feet and she cursed as the massive form of Hengai and Muchomon came striding towards them, Hengai's beetle-black eyes flashing over his great bristling beard.

"Muchomon, Hengai! We were lost…Floo powder…" V-mon said.

Hengai and Muchomon seized Daisuke and V-mon by the scruff of the neck and pulled them away from the witch, knocking the tray right out of her hands. Her shrieks followed them all the way along the twisting alleyway out into the bright sunlight. Daisuke and V-mon saw a familiar, snow-white marble building in the distance. Mahginko Bank. Hengai and Muchomon had steered them right into Cornerside Street.

"Yer a mess!" Hengai said, brushing soot off of Daisuke and V-mon so forcefully he nearly knocked them into a barrel of dragon dung outside an apothecary. "Skulking around Downer Street, dunno, dodgy place Daisuke, V-mon. Don't want no one to see yah down there.

"I realized _**that**_." Daisuke said, ducking as Hengai made to brush him off again. "V-mon told you, we were lost…Wait, what were you doing down there then?"

"_I_ was looking for Flesh-Eating Slug Repellent. They're ruining the school's cabbages. You two are not on your own, are ya?"

"I'm staying with the Ishida's, but we got separated. I've got to go and find them…" Daisuke explained.

They set off together down the street. As they did, the four heard a familiar female voice.

"Daisuke, V-mon! Daisuke, V-mon! Over here!"

Daisuke and V-mon looked up and saw Inoue Miyako and Hawkmon standing at the top of the white flight of steps to Mahginko. They ran down to meet them, Miyako's pink hair flying behind her.

"Hello Miyako, Hawkmon." Hengai said.

"Daisuke, Hengai-san, V-mon, Muchomon, it's so great to see you!" Miyako said.

"Well, it's great to see you too." Daisuke said.

"What happened to your goggles?" Miyako asked.

Daisuke pulled them up and showed Miyako his cracked goggles.

Miyako just cocked her head a bit to the side at how hopeless the boy would be if it weren't for his friends, and then pulled out her wand.

"Oculus Reparo." Miyako said as she waved her wand and then pointed it straight at the goggle's broken lens, and immediately, the crack fixed itself.

"Definitely got to remember that one." Daisuke said as he analyzed his now seemingly brand new goggles.

"Are you guys coming into Mahginko?" Hawkmon asked.

"As soon as we've the Ishidas." V-mon said.

"You won't have long to wait." Muchomon said with a grin.

Sprinting up the crowded street were Takeru, Patamon, Jun, Lunamon, Yamato, Gabumon, and Mr. and Mrs. Ishida.

"V-mon, Daisuke…" Lunamon panted. "We hoped you had gone only one grate too far."

"Where did you come out?" Patamon asked.

"Downer Street."

"Excellent." Yamato and Gabumon said.

"We've never been allowed in." Takeru said enviously.

"I should ruddy well think not." Hengai growled.

"Well, got to be off." Hengai said, who was having his hand wrung by Mrs. Ishida (Downer Street! If you hadn't found him, Hengai-san!") "See you at Butaibo." And he and Muchomon strode away.

"Guess who saw in Bura and Burkes?" Daisuke asked Takeru, Miyako, Patamon and Hawkmon as they climbed the Mahginko steps. "Koaku, his father, Dracomon, and a Patamon look-alike Digimon."

"Did Koaku Yozei buy anything?" Mr. Ishida asked sharply behind them.

"No, he was selling." V-mon said.

"So he's worried. Oh, I'd love to get Koaku Yozei for something." Mr. Ishida said with grim satisfaction.

"You be careful Hiroaki-san. That family's trouble. Don't go biting off more than you can chew." Mrs. Ishida said as they were bowed into the bank by a goblin at the door.

"So you don't think I'm a match for Koaku Yozei?" Mr. Ishida said indignantly, but was distracted almost at once by the sight of Miyako's parents, siblings, and their partners, and went over to greet them.

"Meet you back here." Takeru told Miyako as the Ishida's and the Motomiya's were led off to their underground vaults by another Mahginko goblin.

The vaults were reached by means of small, goblin-driven carts that sped along miniature train tracks through the bank's underground tunnels. After they had all gotten their bronze, Knuts, silver Sickle, and gold Galleons they went back to the surface.

Back outside on the marble steps, they all separated. Mantarou muttered vaguely about needing a new quill; and left with Koemon. Yamato, Jun, Chizuru, Momoe, Gabumon, Lunamon, Falcomon, and Kamemon had spotted their friend from Butaibo, Tahiro Yoshi, and his new partner Revolmon. Mrs. Ishida was going to take a look around Cornerside Street to see what was new. Mr. Ishida was insisting on taking Mr. and Mrs. Inoue off to the Boiling Cauldron for a drink.

"We'll all meet at Blossoms and Fairs in about an hour to buy your schoolbooks. And not one step down Downer Street!" Mrs. Ishida shouted at Yamato's, Gabumon's, Takeru's, and Patamon's retreating backs.

Daisuke, Takeru, Miyako, V-mon, Patamon, and Hawkmon strode off along the winding, cobbled street. The bag of gold, silver, and bronze jangling cheerfully in Daisuke's pocket was clamoring to be spent, so he bought three large chocolate-and-peanut-butter ice creams, which they slurped happily as they wandered up the alley, examining the fascinating shop windows.

An hour later, they headed for Blossoms and Fairs. They were by no means the only ones making their way to the bookshop. As they approached it, they saw to their surprise a large crowd jostling outside the doors, trying to get in. The reason for this was proclaimed by a large banner stretched across the upper windows.

URAMESHI HONATARI

will be signing copies of his autobiography

MAGICAL ME

today at 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM

"We can actually meet him? ! I mean, he's written almost the whole booklist!" Miyako squealed.

The crowd seemed to be made up mostly of witches Mrs. Ishida's age. A harassed-looking wizard stood at the door, saying "Calmly, please, ladies…Don't push, there…mind the books, now…"

Daisuke, V-mon, Takeru, Patamon, Miyako, and Hawkmon squeezed inside. A long line wound right to the back of the shop, where Urameshi Honatari was signing his books. They each grabbed a copy of "The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2" and sneaked up the line where the rest of the Ishidas and Inoues were. They also saw that Yagamis and Jun and Lunamon were there.

"Oh, there you are, good." Said Mrs. Ishida. She sounded breathless and kept patting her hair. "We'll be able to see him in a minute…"

"Daisuke-san/V-mon, good to see you." Taichi and Agumon said as they gave each other an informal handshake.

"Hey Hikari-chan/Tailmon." Daisuke and V-mon said to the girls. Daisuke noticed that Hikari had let her hair grow during the summer, reaching down to her waist.

"Hi Daisuke-kun/V-mon." Hikari and Tailmon said, a bit red in the face, which made Daisuke and V-mon wonder what it was.

Urameshi Honatari came slowly into view, seated at a table surrounded by large pictures of his own face, all winking and flashing dazzlingly white teeth at the crowd. The real Urameshi was wearing golden robes that exactly matched his wavy hair.

A short, irritable-looking man was dancing around taking photographs with a large black camera that emitted puffs of purple smoke with every blinding flash.

"Out of the way, there." He snarled at Takeru, moving back to get a better shot. "This is for the Daily Prophet."

"Big deal." Takeru said, rubbing his foot where the photographer had stepped on it.

Urameshi Honatari heard him. He looked up. He saw Takeru, and then saw Daisuke and V-mon. He stared. Then leapt to his feet and positively shouted "It _**can't**_ be Motomiya Daisuke and V-mon!"

The crowd parted, whispering excitedly; Urameshi dived forward, seized Daisuke's and V-mon's arms, and pulled them to the front. The crowd burst into applause. Daisuke's and V-mon's faces burned as Urameshi shook their hands for the photographer, who was clicking away madly, wafting thick smoke over the Ishidas.

"Nice big smile, Daisuke-kun, V-mon." Urameshi said through his own gleaming teeth. "Together, you and I are worth the front page."

When he finally let go of Daisuke's and V-mon's hands, Daisuke and V-mon could barely feel their fingers. They tried to sidle back over to the Ishidas and Yagamis, but Urameshi threw an arm around their shoulders and clamped them tightly to the side.

"Ladies and gentlemen." He said, waving for quiet. "What an extraordinary moment this is! The perfect moment for me to make a little announcement I've been sitting on for some time!

When young Daisuke and V-mon here stepped into Blossoms and Fairs today, they only wanted to buy my autobiography, which I shall be happy to present them now, free of charge…" The crowd applauded again. "They had _no idea_…" Urameshi continued, giving Daisuke and V-mon a little shake. "that they would shortly be getting much, much more than my book, Magical Me. They and their schoolmates will, in fact, be getting the real magical me. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have great pleasure and pride in announcing that this September I will be taking up the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Butaibo School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"

The crowd cheered and clapped and Daisuke found himself being presented with the entire works of Urameshi Hanatari. Staggering slightly under the weight, he managed to make his way out of the limelight to the edge of the room, where Hikari and Tailmon were standing next to their cauldron.

"You have these." Daisuke mumbled to Hikari, tipping the books into the cauldron. "I'll buy my own…"

"Bet you loved that, didn't you, Motomiya/V-mon?" Two voices said, which Daisuke and V-mon had no trouble recognizing. They straightened up and found themselves face-to-face with Koaku Ryu and Dracomon, who were wearing their usual sneers.

"**Famous** Motomiya Daisuke/V-mon. Can't even go into a **bookshop** without making the frontpage." Koaku and Dracomon said.

"Leave him alone, he didn't want all that!" Hikari and Tailmon said. They were glaring at Koaku and Dracomon.

"Look Motomiya/V-mon, you've got yourself a **girlfriend**!" Koaku and Dracomon drawled. Hikari and Tailmon went scarlet as Takeru, Miyako, Patamon, and Hawkmon fought their way over.

"Oh, it's you." Takeru said, looking at Koaku as if he were something unpleasant on the sole of his shoe. "Bet you're surprised to see Daisuke and V-mon here, eh?"

"Not as I am to see you in this shop, Takaishi." Koaku retorted. "I had supposed a pure-blooded wizard who was raised in the Muggle world would stay there like the disgrace he is a do us the favor of not showing his face around."

Takeru went as red as Hikari and Tailmon. He dropped his books into the cauldron, too, and started toward Koaku, but Daisuke, Miyako, and Patamon grabbed the back of his jacket.

"Now, now, Ryu, Dracomon, behave nicely." Koaku father said as appeared behind Koaku and placed the silver snake which was located at the top of his cane on Koaku's shoulder. "Motomiya-san, V-mon. Koaku Yozei." Mr. Koaku said as he shook V-mon's and Daisuke's hands.

"We meet at last. Forgive me…" Mr. Koaku said as he pulled Daisuke closer to him and pulled Daisuke's bangs aside with his cane to look at his scar. "Your scar is legendary. As is, of course, the wizard who gave it to you."

"Zoltel killed my parents." Daisuke said as he wrenched out of Mr. Koaku's grasp. "He was nothing more than a murderer." Daisuke said as he grabbed his goggles, which were around his neck, and placed them once more on his forehead.

"You must be very brave to say his name. Or very foolish."

"Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself." Miyako said, quoting what Damaro told Daisuke months earlier.

"Let me see, based on what Ryu and Dracomon told me, idiotic expressions, coupled with idiotic glasses…I assume you're the Inoues. Ryu and Dracomon have told me all about you and your parents. Muggles, aren't they?" Mr. Koaku said, earning him and intense glare from the Inoue children.

"Brown and blond hair, and one boy has hair that looks like a bird nest." Mr. Koaku continued as he took out one of Hikari's books from the cauldron and examined it. "You must be the Yagamis and the Ishidas."

"Kids! What're you doing? It's crowded in here, let's go outside." Mr. Ishida said as he approached them.

"Well, well, well…Ishida Hiroaki." Mr. Koaku said.

"Yozei." Mr. Ishida said, nodding coldly.

"Busy time at the Ministry, I hear." Mr. Koaku said. "All those raids…Do you still enjoy being a disgrace to the name of wizard?"

Mr. Ishida flushed darker than either Hikari, Tailmon, or Takeru.

"We have a very different of what disgraces the name of wizard, Koaku." He said.

"Clearly." Mr. Koaku said, his pale eyes straying to Mr. and Mrs. Inoue, who were watching apprehensively. "Associating yourself with Muggles. The company you keep, Ishida…and I thought your family could sink no lower…"

There was a thud of metal as Hikari's cauldron went flying; Mr. Ishida at thrown himself at Mr. Koaku, knocking him backward into a bookshelf. Dozens of heavy spellbooks came thundering down on all their heads; there was a yell of "Get him, Dad!" from Yamato and Gabumon; Mrs. Ishida was shrieking "No, Hiroaki-san, no!"; the crowd stampeded backwards, knocking more shelves backward, knocking more shelves over; "Gentlemen, please, please!" cried the assistant, and then, louder than all…

"Break it up, there, gents, break it up…"

Hengai and Muchomon were wading towards them through the sea of books. In an instant Hengai had pulled Mr. Ishida and Mr. Koaku apart, and Mr. Yagami had come to hold Mr. Ishida back. Mr. Ishida had a cut lip and Mr. Koaku had been hit in the eye by an "Encyclopedia of Toadstools". He was still holding Hikari's Transfiguration book. He thrust it at her, his eyes glittering with malice.

"Here girl, take your book; it's the best your father can give you." Pulling himself out of Hengai's grip he beckoned to Ryu, Dracomon, and his Patamon look-alike partner and swept from the shop.

"You should've ignored him, Hiroaki." Said Muchomon, Hengai almost lifting Mr. Ishida off his feet as he straightened his robes. "Rotten to the core, the whole family, everyone knows that. No Koaku's worth listening to. Bad blood, that's what it is. Come on now; let's get out of here."

The assistant looked as though he wanted to stop them leaving, but he barely came up to Hengai's waist and seemed to think better of it. They hurried up the street, the Inoues shaking with fright and Mrs. Ishida beside herself with fury.

"A **fine** example to set for your children…**brawling** in public…what **Urameshi Honatari** must've thought."

"He was pleased." Gabumon said. "Didn't you hear him as we were leaving? He was asking that bloke from the Daily Prophet if he'd be able to work the fight into his report; said it was all publicity."

But it was a subdued group that headed back to the fireside in the Boiling Cauldron, where Daisuke, V-mon, Jun, Lunamon, the Ishidas, and all their shopping would be traveling back to the Burrow using Floo powder.

They said good-bye to the Yagamis and the Inoues, who were leaving the pub for the Muggle street on the other side.

Daisuke took off his goggles and put them safely in his pocket before he and V-mon helped themselves to Floo powder. It definitely wasn't their favorite way to travel.

* * *

Well, I hope you guys like the chapter. Please review.


	4. The Whomping Willow

I do not own anything

* * *

The end of summer vacation came too quickly for Daisuke's liking. He was looking forward to getting back to Butaibo, but the days he had been spending at the Burrow had been one of the happiest of his life.

On September 1, Daisuke and V-mon had woken up late and dressed like maniacs and ate their food so fast they were sure they were going to hurl later.

The Motomiyas had arrived at Shibuya Station at 10:45 and saw a Ford Anglia park in front of the station, and out from it came the Ishidas. Jun waved at them, and as soon as Mrs. Ishida caught sight of them, the Ishidas hurried over to their direction.

"Hey, we almost missed you." Gabumon said as they approached them.

"We have to hurry, the elevator's transporter charm wears off at 11 sharp." Lunamon said.

They all hurried up the Shibuya Station and pressed the button to call to elevator. However, the elevator could only fit six people at once.

"Jun, Lunamon, you go ahead with Yamato and Gabumon." Mrs. Ishida said. "We'll go with you. Takeru, Patamon, Daisuke-san, V-mon, you guys follow afterwards."

And thus the six of them entered the elevator and it closed, taking them to the underground platform. After about 5 seconds, once he was sure the elevator had already descended, Daisuke pressed the button to call the elevator door.

"Lets' go." Takeru said as the elevator door opened, and Daisuke, Takeru, V-mon and Patamon quickly went in and V-mon pressed the buttons 9, 3, and 4.

But as Daisuke, Takeru, V-mon, and Patamon got ready for the rapid descent, the elevator instead only started descending at a normal speed.

"…What? Why isn't it descending?" Daisuke hissed as he pressed the buttons over and over and over.

"I don't know…" Takeru said. He then looked at the clock inside the elevator and saw the time. "We´re going to miss the train. I don't understand why the transporter charm vanished."

Daisuke looked up at the clock with a sickening feeling in the tip of his stomach. 10 seconds…9 seconds…

Daisuke pressed the 4 button desperately, but the elevator didn't move any faster.

3 seconds…2 seconds…1 second…

"It's gone." Patamon said, sounding stunned. "The train's left. What if Mom and Dad can't get back through to us?"

"Um, well, maybe we should wait by the car." V-mon suggested and realization came to Takeru.

"…The _car_." He said.

"What about it?" Daisuke asked.

"We can fly the car to Butaibo!" Takeru said.

"…Takeru, last time I checked, a car is a terrestrial automobile that has wheels." Daisuke said.

"No, you idiot. It has magic. It can fly. We can fly it to Butaibo!" Takeru responded.

"But I thought…"

"We're stuck, right? And we've got to get to school, haven't we? And even underage wizards are allowed to use magic if it's a real emergency, section 19 or something of the Restriction of Thingy…" Takeru explained.

"But your Mom and Dad…" Daisuke said as he continued pressing the button in vain hope that they would descend. "How will they get home?"

"They don't need the car!" Takeru said impatiently. "They know how to Apparate! You know, just vanish and reappear at home! They only bother with Floo powder and the car because were underage and not allowed to Apparate yet…"

Daisuke's feeling of panic turned suddenly into excitement.

"Can you fly it?"

"No problem. Come on, let's go. If we hurry, we'll be able to follow the Butaibo Express…" Takeru said as he pressed the "Open" button.

And they marched through the crowd of curious Muggles, out of the station and back onto the side road where the old Ford Anglia was parked.

Takeru unlocked the cavernous trunk with a series of taps from his wand. They heaved their luggage in, put Yushiba in the back seat along with V-mon and Patamon, and got into the front.

"Check out that no one's watching." Takeru said as he started the ignition with another tap of his wand. Daisuke stuck his head out of the window. Traffic was rumbling on the main road ahead, but their street was empty.

"Okay." Daisuke said.

Takeru pressed a tiny silver button on the dashboard. The car around them vanished…and so did they. Daisuke could feel the seat vibrating beneath him, hear the engine, feel his hands on his knees and his goggles on his head, but for all he could see, he had become a pair of eyeballs, floating a few feet above the ground in a dingy street full of parked cars.

"Let's go!" Said Takeru's voice from his right.

And the ground and the dirty buildings one either side fell away, dropping out of sight as the car rose. In seconds, the whole Tokyo laid, smoky and glittering, below them.

And then there was a popping noise and the car, Daisuke, and the others reappeared.

"Uh-oh…" Takeru said, jabbing the Invisibility Booster. "It's broken…"

Both of them pummeled it. The car vanished. Then it flickered back again.

"Hold on!" Takeru yelled as he slammed his foot on the accelerator; they shot way into the low, woolly clouds and everything turned dull and foggy.

"Now what?" Daisuke asked, blinking at the solid mass of clouds pressing in on them from all sides.

"We need to see the train to know what direction to go in."

"Dip back down again; quickly." V-mon said.

They dropped back beneath the clouds and twisted around in their seats, squinting at the ground.

Takeru lowered them a bit more until they were a few inches above the railroad.

"Now all we need to do is catch up." Daisuke said.

"We can't be far behind." Takeru replied.

And then they heard the loud honk of the train.

"Do you hear that?" Daisuke asked.

"We must be getting close."

And the honk kept getting louder, but the train was still nowhere in sight.

"Hold on…" Daisuke said as realization came up to his mind. He then looked at Takeru as if he were about to panic; and Takeru looked at him as if he were about to cry. The two, plus V-mon and Patamon then reluctantly looked back to see the Butaibo Express only a few feet away from them, and approaching.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" They screamed and Takeru desperately steered the steering wheel to the left, making the car fly off the railroad and roll many times into the sky, making Daisuke hit against the side door so hard it opened, and Daisuke would've fallen if he hadn't barely holding onto the car.

"DAISUKE! HOLD ON!" Takeru said as he stretched out his hand. "Take my hand!"

Daisuke grabbed Takeru's hand desperately, only for the grip to slip.

"HOLD ON!" Takeru screamed.

"I'M TRYING! YOUR HAND'S ALL SWEATY!" Daisuke shouted back as Patamon flew towards him and grabbed the back of his collar with his mouth and tried to pull him up.

After a few more tries, Daisuke managed to grab Takeru's hand firmly and the latter pulled him back into the car.

"…I think we found the train." Daisuke said after a few moments, when the rush of excitement had washed off from his body.

"Yeah." Takeru replied.

"Due east." Said Patamon, checking the compass on the dashboard. "Okay, we'll just have to check on it every half hour or so."

They shot up through the clouds. A minute later, they burst out into a blaze of sunlight.

It was a different world. The wheels of the car skimmed the sea of fluffy cloud, the sky a bright, endless blue under the blinding white sun.

"All we've got to worry about now are airplanes." Takeru said.

They all looked at each other and started laughing; for a long time, they couldn't stop.

It was as though they had been plunged into a fabulous dream. This, thought Daisuke, was surely the only way to travel: past swirls and turrets of snowy clouds, in a car full of hot, bright sunlight, and the prospect of seeing Chizuru's, Momoe's, Taichi's, Yamato's, and Jun's jealous faces when they landed smoothly and spectacularly on the sweeping lawn in front of the Butaibo castle, although Daisuke and V-mon knew that the last part only counted for Takeru, as Jun would kill him for doing something so stupid and dangerous.

They made regular checks on the train as they flew farther and farther east, each dip beneath the clouds showing them a different view. Tokyo was soon far behind them, replaced by neat green fields that way in turn to wide, purplish moors, a great city alive with cars like multicolored ants, villages with tiny toy churches, and finally, the bright blue sea with only a railroad bridge and the Butaibo Express atop of it.

Several uneventful hours later, however, Daisuke had to admit some of the fun was wearing off. Daisuke took off his striped red and blue unbuttoned Winchester shirt and Takeru pulled off his sweater. Daisuke had stopped noticing the fantastic cloud shapes now and was thinking longingly of the train miles down below where you could buy ice-cold tea from a trolley pushed by a plump witch. **Why** hadn't they been able to get onto platform 9 ¾?

"Can't be much farther, can it?" Takeru croaked, hours later, as the sun started to sink into their floor of clouds, staining it a deep pink. "Ready for another check on the train?"

It was still right below them, the bridge now finishing as the railroad and the Butaibo Express entered the island which contained Butaibo. It was much darker beneath the canopy of clouds.

Takeru put his foot on the accelerator and drove them upward again, but as he did so, the engine began to whine.

Daisuke, V-mon, Takeru, and Patamon began to exchange nervous glances.

"It's probably just tired." Takeru said. "It's never been this far before…"

And they all pretended not to notice the whine becoming louder and louder as the sky became steadily darker. Stars were blossoming into the blackness. Daisuke pulled his red and blue, opened up Winchester shirt back on, trying to ignore the way the windshield fibers were now waving feebly, as in protest.

"Not far," Said Takeru, more to the car than to Daisuke or the others "not far now." And he patted the dashboard nervously.

When they flew back beneath the clouds a little while later, they had to squint through the darkness for a landmark they knew.

"**There!**" V-mon shouted, making Daisuke, Patamon, Takeru, and Yushiba jump. "Straight ahead!"

Silhouetted on the dark horizon, on the cliff over the lake, stood the many turrets and towers of Butaibo castle.

But the car had begun to shudder and was losing speed.

"Come on." Takeru said cajolingly, giving the steering wheel a little shake. "Nearly there, come on…"

The engine groaned. The narrow jets of steam were issuing from under the hood. Daisuke found himself gripping the edge of his seat very hard as they flew towards the lake.

The car gave a nasty wobble. Glancing out the window, Daisuke saw the smooth, black, glassy surface of the water, a mile below. Takeru's knuckles were white on the steering wheel. The car wobbled again.

"Come **on!**" Takeru muttered.

They were over the lake. The castle was right ahead. Takeru put his foot down.

There was a loud clunk, a splutter, and the engine died completely.

"Uh-oh." Said Takeru, into the silence.

The nose of the car dropped. They were falling, gathering speed, heading straight for the solid castle.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Takeru yelled, swinging the steering wheel around; the missed the dark stone wall by inches as the car made a great arc, soaring over the dark greenhouses, then the vegetable patch, and then out over the black lawns, losing altitude all the time.

Takeru let go of the steering wheel completely and pulled his wand out of his back pocket.

"STOP! STOP! STOP!" He yelled, whacking the dashboard and the windshield, but they were still plummeting, the ground flying up towards them…

"WATCH OUT FOR THAT TREE!" V-mon bellowed, lunging for the steering wheel, but it was too late…

**CRUNCH**

With an ear splitting bang of metal on wood, they half hit half landed on the thick tree trunk. Steam was billowing from under the crumpled hood; Yushiba was shrieking in terror; a golfball-size lump was throbbing Daisuke's head where he had hit the windshield; and to his right, Takeru let out a low, despairing groan.

"Are you okay?" Daisuke said urgentely.

"My wand." Takeru said in a shaky voice. "Look at my wand."

It had snapped, almost into two; the tip was dangling limply, held on by a few splinters.

"Be thankful it's not your neck." Daisuke exasperated.

The next second, something hit the side of the car with the force of a charging bull., sending him lurking sideways into Takeru, Patamon, and V-mon, just as an equally heavy blow hit the roof.

"What's happen…!"

Patamon gasped, staring through the windshield, and Daisuke looked around just in time to see a branch as thick as a python smash into it. The tree they had hit was attacking them. Its trunk was bent almost double, and its gnarled bough were pummeling every inch of the car it could reach.

"Run for it!" Takeru shouted, throwing his full weight against his door, but the next second he had been knocked backwards into Daisuke's lap by a vicious uppercut from another branch.

"We're done for!" Patamon moaned as the ceiling sagged, but suddenly the floor of the car was vibrating…the engine had restarted.

"Reverse!" V-mon yelled, and the car shot backward; the tree still trying to hit them; they could hear its roots creaking as it almost ripped itself up, lashing out of reach.

"That…" Takeru panted "was close. Well done, car…"

The car, however, had reached the end of its tether. With two sharp clunks, the doors flew open and Daisuke felt his seat tip sideways. Next thing he knew, he was sprawled on the damp ground. Loud thuds told him the car was ejecting their luggage from the trunk, Yushiba's cage flew threw the air and burst open; she rose out of it with an angry screech and sped off toward the castle without a backward look. Then, dented, scratched, and steaming, the car rumbled off into the darkness, its rear lights blazing angrily.

"Come back!" Takeru yelled after it, brandishing his broken wand. "Dad's gonna kill me." He whispered when he was finally forced to accept that the car was not coming back.

And the car disappeared from view with one last snort from its exhaust.

"Can you **believe** our luck?" Patamon said miserably, bending down to pick up Tsurachi for Takeru. "Of all the trees we could've hit, we had to hit one that hits back."

"Come on, we'd better get up to the school." Daisuke said wearily.

It wasn't at all the triumphant arrival they had pictured. Stiff, cold, and bruised, they seized the end of their trunks and began dragging them up the grassy slope, towards the great oak front doors.

"I think the feast's already started." Takeru said =, dropping his trunk at the foot of the front steps and crossing quietly to look through a brightly lit windiw. "Daisuke, V-mon, come and look, it's the sorting!"

Daisuke and V-mon hurried over and, together, they peered in at the Great Hall.

"Hang on…" V-mon muttered to the others. "There's an empty chair at the staff table….Where're Sato and Impmon?"

"Maybe he's ill!" Patamon said hopefully.

"Maybe he's left because he missed out on the Defense Against the Dark Arts job **again**!" Daisuke said.

"Or he might've been **fired**! I mean, everyone hates him!" Takeru said enthusiastically.

" Or maybe" said a very cold voice right behind them "he's waiting to hear why you four didn't arrive on the school train."

Daisuke spun around. There, his black robes rippling in a cold breeze, stood Sato Savaro. He was a thin man with sallow skin, a hooked nose, and greasy, shoulder-length black hair, and at this moment, he was smiling in a way that told Daisuke he, V-mon, Takeru, and Patamon were in very deep trouble.

"Follow me." Sato said.

They walked straight down the Entrance Hall, passing the Great Hall, the delicious smell of food coming out from it, and into the dungeons.

"In!" He said, pointing at the dark room with glasses filed with jars in which floated all manner of revolting things Daisuke didn't really want to name at the moment. The fireplace was dark and empty and Impmon laid on the table, legs crossed, as if though he were having the most peaceful time. Sato closed the door and turned to look at them.

"So…" he said softly "the train isn't good enough for the famous Motomiya Daisuke and V-mon and their sidekicks Takaishi and the Dumbo-pig. Wanted to arrive with a bang, didn't we boys?"

"No, sir, it was the elevator at Shibuya Station, it…"

"Silence!" Sato said coldly. "What have you done with the car?"

Takeru gulped. This wasn't the first time Sato had given Daisuke the impression of being able to read minds. But a moment later, he understood, as Sato unrolled today's issue of the Evening Prophet.

"You were seen…" He hissed, showing them the headline: **FLYING FORD ANGLIA MYSTIFIES MUGGLES** "by no less than seven Muggles. I believe your father works in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office." Sato said, looking up at Takeru and smiling still more nastily.

"Dear, dear…his own son…" Impmon added, now sitting up.

Daisuke felt as though he'd just been walloped in the stomach by one of the mad tree's larger branches. If anyone found Mr. Ishida had bewitched the car...he hadn't though of that…

"Not to mention the damaged you've inflicted on the Whomping Willow that's been on the grounds of this school since **before you were born**." Sato said harshly.

"Honestly, Sensei, I think it did more damage to us…" Takeru blurted out.

"**Silence**!" Sato snapped again. "Rest assured that if you were in my House, the four of you would on the train back home **tonight**. Most unfortunately, you are not in my House and the decision to expel you does not rest with me. I shall go and fetch the people who **do** have that happy power. You will wait here."

The four were now paler than they had ever been. In a matter of minutes, Sato came with Nakamura, White and BlackPawnChessmon, Damaro, and Hyokomon. Either Nakamura's lips were thinner than Daisuke remembered them being, or he had never seen her so angry.

"Headmaster, these boys have violated the Decree for the Restriction of Underage Wizardry." Sato said, pointing at the kids.

"I am well aware of the Decree, Savaro, having writing a few of it myself. However, being the Head of House of Goono, I believe it's up to Nakamura to decide a fit punishment."

"Explain." She said, her glasses glinting ominously.

And Patamon launched into the story, starting at the charm at the station refusing to work.

"So we had no other choice, Sensei, we couldn't get on the train."

"Why didn't you send us a letter by owl? I believe you have an owl? Or maybe you could have evolved and flied your way here?" Nakamura-sensei said coldly to them.

They gaped at her. Now she said it, it seemed like the obvious thing to have done. They had gotten so accustomed to magic that they didn't even think about evolution.

"I-I didn't think…" Patamon said.

"That is obvious." Nakamura replied.

"…We'll go get our stuff." Takeru said in a hopeless sort of voice.

"What are you talking about, Ishida." Nakamura barked.

"It's Takaishi. And you're expelling us, aren't you?"

"Not today, Takaishi-san." Nakamura said. At that moment, Daisuke, Takeru, V-mon, and Patamon never remembered feeling more alive. "However, I must impress upon the four of you the seriousness of what you have done. I will be writing to your family tonight, Takaishi. I must also warn you that if you do anything like this again, I will have no choice but to expel you."

Sato and Impmon looked as though Christmas had been cancelled.

"Come Savaro, Impmon." Damaro said as he and Hyokomon left the room.

Sato shot a look of pure venom at the four of them as he allowed himself to be swept out of his office, leaving them alone with Nakamura and Black and WhitePawnChessmon.

"You better get to the Hospital Wing, Takaishi, you're bleeding." Nakamura-sensei said.

"It's nothing." Takeru said as he proceeded to wipe the small blood with his sleeve.

"Sensei, since when we stole the car, term hadn't started, Goono shouldn't really lose any points because of us, right?" Daisuke said anxiously.

Nakamura-sensei gave him a piercing look, but he was sure she had almost smiled.

"I will not take any points from Goono." Nakamura said. "But you four will get a detention."

It was better than Daisuke or V-mon had expected.

Nakamura-sensei raised her wand and pointed it at Sato's desk. A large plate of sandwiches, two silver goblets, and a jug of iced apple juice appeared with a pop.

"You will eat here and then go straight up to your dormitory." Nakamura said. "We must return to the feast." And she and her partners left.

When the door closed, Takeru let out a deep sigh of relief.

"I thought we had it." Takeru said as he took a chair and sat down to eat the sandwiches.

"So did I." V-mon said as he sat on the desk with Patamon and they each took a sandwich.

"Can you believe our luck, though?" Takeru said thickly through his mouth full chicken and ham. "Yamato and Gabumon must've flown that car five or six times and no Muggle ever saw them." He swallowed and took another huge bite. "Why couldn't we get through the barrier?"

Daisuke shrugged.

"We'll have to watch our step from now on, though." He said, taking a grateful swig of apple juice. "Wish we could have gone up to the feast…"

"She didn't want us showing off. Doesn't want people to think it's clever, arriving by a flying car." Takeru said sagely as he poured some juice into his goblet.

When they had eaten as many sandwiches as they could (the plate kept refilling itself), they rose and left the office, threading the familiar path to Goono Tower. The castle was quiet, it seemed that the feast was over. They walked past muttering portraits and creaking suits of armor, and climbed narrow flights of stone stairs, until at last, they reached the passage where the secret entrance to Goono Tower, behind an oil painting of a very fat lady in pink silk dress.

"Password?" She said as they approached.

"Er…"

They didn't know the knew year's password not having met a Goono prefect yet, but help came almost immediately. They heard hurrying feet behind them, and turned to see Hikari and Tailmon dashing towards them.

"**There** you are! Where have you been? The most **ridiculous** rumors have been going around; some said you'd been expelled for crashing a flying **car**!" Hikari said.

"Well, we haven't been expelled." Daisuke assured her.

"Don't tell me you **did** fly here!" Hikari and Tailmon said simultaneously, their old personalities returning.

"Just skip the lecture and give us the new password." Takeru said impatiently.

"It's "wattlebird", but that's not the point…"

Hikari's words were cut short when the portrait of the fat lady swung open and arms reached out through the portrait and pulled Daisuke, V-mon, Takeru, and Patamon in. In a moment, they were surrounded by a storm of clapping, leaving Hikari and Tailmon to scramble in after them. It seemed that the whole Goono House had stayed awake, waiting for their arrival.

"Brilliant!" Tahiro Yoshi and Revolmon said. "Inspired! Flying a car into the Whomping Willow, people will be talking about that one for years!"

"Good for you." Said a fifth year Daisuke had never spoken to.

Someone was patting V-mon on the back as if though he had just won a marathon. Yamato, Taichi, Gabumon, and Agumon pushed their way to the front of the crowd and said together "Why couldn't we've come in the car, eh?"

Takeru and Patamon were scarlet, grinning embarrassedly, but Daisuke could see two people who didn't look happy at all. Jun was visible over the head of some excited 1st years, and he could also see Lunamon among them. They seemed to be trying to get near them to start telling them off. Daisuke nudged the others in the ribs and pointed at Jun's and Lunamon's direction. They got the point at once.

"Got to get upstairs. Bit tired." Takeru said.

"Night." Daisuke said to Hikari and Tailmon, who were wearing a scowl similar to Jun's and Lunamon's. As they passed through the Common Room they were continuously patted on the back. They climbed the staircase until at last they reached their old dormitory, which now had a sign that read "2nd years". They entered a familiar circular room, and saw that their drunks and been brought up for them and stood at the end of their beds.

Takeru grinned guiltily at Daisuke.

"I know we shouldn't have enjoyed that, but…"

The dormitory door flew open and in came the other 2nd year Goono boy Kitsu Samuso, Hagurumon, Rei, his new partner Spadamon, Ken, and Wormmon.

"Unbelievable!" Samuso and Hagurumon beamed.

"Cool!" Rei and Spadamon said.

"Amazing." Ken and Wormmon said, awestruck.

Daisuke couldn't help it. He grinned, too.

* * *

Sorry I took so long to update. I hope you liked the chapter. Review please.


	5. Urameshi Honatari

I do not own anything

* * *

The next day, however, Daisuke barely grinned once. Things started to go downhill from breakfast in the Great Hall. Daisuke, V-mon, Takeru, and Patamon sat next to Hikari and Tailmon Judging by the way they said "Morning." Daisuke assumed that they had mostly already forgiven them for the way they had arrived. Ken and Wormmon then arrived, greeting them cheerfully.

"Mail's due anytime. I think Mom's sending me a few things I forgot." Ken said.

Lately, with all the extra studying Ken was doing, he had been forgetting stuff from time to time. The next second there was a rushing sound overhead and a hundred arrows or so owls streaming in, circling the hall and dropping letters and packages into the chattering crowd. A big, lumpy package fell into Ken's hands and, a second later, something large and gray fell into a bowl, spreading biscuits and feathers in every direction.

"Zaru…" Takeru said, pulling the bedraggled owl by his feet, Zaru slumped, unconscious, onto the table, his legs in the air and a damp read envelope in his beak.

"Oh, no…" Takeru gasped.

"It's all right, he's still alive." Hikari said, prodding Zaru gently with the tip of her finger.

"Not that…"

"…Wow Takeru-kun, you're such a sensitive guy, I wonder how come I still haven't fallen for you." Hikari said with sarcasm.

"Maybe it's because you're head-over-heels over Mo-ouch!" Takeru said, having had the girl next to him stomp his foot. Hikari was slightly red again. She returned to her breakfast, leaving Daisuke to wonder who she had fallen for.

"Well, anyways, the problem is that." Takeru said, pointing at the red damp envelope.

It looked quite ordinary to Daisuke, but Takeru, Ken, Patamon, and Wormmon looked at it in horror as though it might explode.

"What's the matter?" Daisuke asked.

"She sent me a Howler."

"You'd better open it, Takeru-san. It will be worse if you don't. My Mom sent me one once and I ignored it and…" Ken gulped "it was horrible."

Daisuke and V-mon looked from the petrified faces to the red envelope.

"What's a Howler?" Daisuke asked.

But Takeru's whole attention was fixed on the letter, which had begun to smoke in the corners.

"Open it…It'll all be over in a few minutes." Ken said.

Takeru stretched out a shaking hand, eased the envelope from Zaru's beak, and slit it open. Everyone else stuffed their fingers in their ears. A split second later, Daisuke and V-mon knew why. They thought for a second it had exploded; a roar of sound filled the huge hall, shaking dust from the ceiling.

***TAKAISHI TAKERU! HOW DARE YOU STEAL THAT CAR? ! I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SURPRISED IF THEY'D EXPELLED YOU, YOU WAIT TILL I GET HOLD OF YOU, I DON'T SUPPOSE YOU STOPPED TO THINK ABOUT WHAT YOUR FATHER AND I WENT THROUGH WHEN WE SAW IT WAS GONE!**"

Mrs. Ishida's yells were a hundred times louder than usual, making the plates and spoons rattle on the table, and echo deafeningly off the stone walls.

People throughout the hall were swiveling to see who had received the Howler, and Takeru sank so low in his chair that only his crimson forehead could be seen.

"**WHEN WE GOT THAT LETTER FROM DAMARO AND HYOKOMON LAST NIGHT, I THOUGHT YOUR FATHER WOULD DIE OF SHAME, WE DIDN'T BRING YOU UP TO BEHAVE LIKE THIS, YOU, DAISUKE, V-MON, AND PATAMON COULD HAVE DIED!**"

Daisuke and V-mon were beginning to wonder when their names would crop up. They tried very hard to look as though they couldn't hear the voice that made their eardrums throb.

"**I AM ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED! YOUR FATHER IS NOW FACING AN INQUIRY AT WORK, AND IT'S ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT! IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINE, WE'LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT HOME!**"

The Howler then stuck out its tongue and Takeru before it started ripping itself to shreds with dignity. And just when they thought it was over, the pieces burst into flames, leaving only ashes on the table.

Daisuke, Takeru, V-mon, and Patamon sat stunned, as though a tidal wave had just passed over them. A few people laughed and, gradually, a babble of talk broke out again.

"Well, I don't know what you expected, Takeru-kun, but…" Hikari started.

"Don't tell me I deserved it."

Daisuke and V-mon slowly ate, the only thing making them feel better at the moment. Their insides were burning with guilt. Mr. Ishida was facing an inquiry at work. After all he and Mrs. Ishida had done for them over the summer…

But they had no time to dwell on this; Nakamura-sensei was passing around, handing the schedule. The first class was double Herbology with Chuhoru The eight of them left the castle together and arrived at the greenhouse minutes later. A few minutes afterwards, Moyashi-sensei and her new partner, Lalamon, arrived with Urameshi Honatari, who kept telling them about his fantastical book. After Moyashi-sensei was able to get rid of him, she lightly tapped a vase with her wand to call everyone's attention.

"Good morning, everyone." She said.

"Good morning, Moyashi-sensei."

"Now, we'll be reporting Mandrakes today. Can anyone tell me what's the property of a Mandrake?" Moyashi-sensei asked.

To nobody's surprise, Hikari's hand was to first to be raised.

"Yagami-san…"

"Mandrake, or Mandragora, is a powerful restorative." Hikari said. "It is used to return people who have been transfigured or cursed to their original state."

"Excellent. 10 points for Goono." Moyashi-sensei said. "Now, the Mandrake forms an essential part for most antidotes. It is also, however, dangerous. Can anyone tell me why?"

Hikari's hand shot up in the air again.

"The cry of a Mandrake is fatal to anyone who hears it." She said promptly.

"Precisely. Take another 10 points. Now, I want each and everyone of you to grab the earmuffs laying in front of you, and place them tightly over your ears. Now, grab your plant firmly like this…and pull them out."

Instead of small roots, a small, muddy and ugly baby popped out of the earth. The leaves were growing right out its head. He had pale green, mottled skin, and was clearly bawling at the top of his lungs. Even with the earmuffs, all the students covered their ears. Moyashi-sensei then took a plant pot and placed the Mandrake there before she started to fill the pot with soil.

"Now…" She started "as these are only seedlings, their cries won't kill you yet. However, they will knock you out for several hours and I'm sure none of you want your first day back. Make sure your earmuffs are securely in place while at work."

The students each pressed their earmuffs tightly against their heads.

"Now, grab the Mandrake…and **pull it out**." Moyashi said as the students pulled out the Mandrakes from the ears. The greenhouse was suddenly filled the loud cries of several plant babies. "Good, now place them in the pot and fill it with soil until only the plant on its heads are visible."

Daisuke, V-mon, Hikari, Tailmon, Takeru, and Wormmon were joined by a Chuhoru Daisuke knew by sight but had never spoken to.

"Hi, I'm Fucamitsu Jerai." He said brightly, shaking Daisuke's hand before, pointing to the Digimon beside him. "This here is Kotemon. Know who you are, of course, the famous Motomiya Daisuke and V-mon…And you're Yagami Hikari and Tailmon, always top in everything, along that Hikomeina girl Inoue Miyako and Hawkmon."

Hikari beamed at the comment as she shook his hand.

"And Takaishi Takeru and Patamon. Wasn't that your flying car?"

Takeru didn't smile at the comment. The Howler was still in his mind.

"Alright. Now I want everybody do grab your Mandrakes and do as I showed you." Miyashi-sensei said.

The Mandrakes didn't like coming out of the earth, but they didn't seem to want to go back in either. They squirmed, kicked, flailed their sharp little fists, and gnashed their teeth. Daisuke and V-mon spent ten whole minutes trying to squish a particularly fat one into the pot.

By the end of class everyone was sweaty, aching, and covered in earth.

Transfiguration had been no better. Daisuke had learned last year that Nakamura's classes were hard, but they seemed exceptionally difficult today. Everything he had learned seemed to have left his mind during summer.

Also, Takeru's want wasn't working, despite the fact that he patched it up with Spellotape. It seemed to be damaged beyond repair.

By the time lunch had come, everyone, with and exception of Miyako, Hikari, Tailmon, and Hawkmon, was exhausted.

"What do we have next?" Takeru asked.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts." Miyako said.

"Why" Ken said as he snatched Miyako's schedule "have you outlined all of Urameshi's classes with little hearts?"

Miyako snatched her schedule back, blushing furiously. All that, however, was quickly dismissed when someone took a picture of Daisuke.

"Hi, Daisuke-kun. I'm Curoma Cona and this is my partner Monodramon." A small, mousy-haired boy said. "I'm in Goono, too. Do you think it'd be all right if…if I had a picture? I've heard all about you. Everyone's told me. About how you survived when You-Know-Who tried to kill you and how he disappeared and everything and how you've still got a lightning scar on your forehead. I still can't believe I'm in Butaibo. My whole family was in disbelief. A boy in my dormitory said that if I develop the picture in the right potion, it'll move. So I was wondering, could I have a picture of you? I'd like to show them to my parents, back at home, and I was wondering if I could have a picture of you."

"Um, maybe later, Cona-san." Daisuke said, blushing.

"Okay, thanks." Cona said as he and Monodramon left.

"Wow, that's something you don't see everyday. You got fans all over, Daisuke." Miyako said.

"Shut up." Daisuke said, blushing. The last thing he needed was a "Motomiya Daisuke fanclub".

When the whole class was seated, Urameshi cleared his throat loudly and silence fell. He reached forward picked up Ken's copy of "Travels with Trolls", and held it up to show his own, winking portrait in the front.

"Me. Urameshi Honatari, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defence League, and five times winner of "Witch Weekly's" Most-Charming-Smile Award. But I don't talk about that. I didn't get rid of the Bandon Banshee by smiling at her."

He waited for people to laugh; few smiled weakly.

"I see you all bought a complete set of my books. Well done. I thought we'd start today with a little quiz.

He started handing out the paper sheets. "You have 30 minutes. Start…now."

Daisuke looked down at the paper and read:

What's Urameshi Honatari's favorite color?

What's Urameshi Honatari's secret ambition?

What's, in your opinion, Urameshi Honatari's greatest achievement to date?

And it went on and on, over three sheets of papers, right down to:

57. When is Urameshi Honatari's birthday, and what would his ideal birthday gift be?

Half an hour later, Urameshi collected the papers.

"Tut, tut, tut…Hardly any of you remember that my favorite color is lilac, as said so in "Year with the Yeti". And my ideal birthday gift, as said so in "Wandering with Werewolves", would be harmony between all magical and non-magical people, though I wouldn't say no to a large bottle of Ogden's Old Firewhisky."

Urameshi gave another wink. Takeru started banging his head against the desk in disbelief; Patamon had a twitching eye; Samuso, Rei, Hagurumon, and Spadamon were shaking with silent laughter; Ken and Wormmmon were gawking. Hikari, on the other hand, was listening intently and gave a start when he mentioned her name.

"…but Yagami Hikari-san knew my secret ambition is to rid the world of evil and market my own range of hair-care potions. Good girl. In fact…full marks. Where is Yagami-san?"

Hikari raised her trembling hand.

"Excellent!" Beamed Urameshi. "Quite excellent! Take 10 points for Goono! And so, to business…"

He approached the large, covered cage on his desk.

"Be warned! It's my job to arm you against the foulest and most dangerous creatures known to wizardkind. You may find yourselves facing your worst fears in this room. Know that no harm can befall you while I'm here. All I ask is that you remain calm."

In spite of themselves, Daisuke and V-mon leaned around their pile books for a better look at the cage. Urameshi placed a hand on the cover. Samuso, Rei, Hagurumon, and Spadamon had stopped laughing now. Ken and Wormmon were breathing heavily and looking cautiously at the covered cage.

"I must ask you not to scream. It might just provoke them!" Urameshi said.

The class held its breath as Urameshi whipped off the cover. In the cage were…pixies.

"Yes." Urameshi said dramatically. "Freshly caught Cornish pixies!"

Kitsu Samuso couldn't control himself. He let out a snort of laughter even Urameshi couldn't confuse for a scream of terror.

"Yes?" He smiled at Samuso.

"Well… they aren't very dangerous, are they, sir?" Hagurumon said.

"Don't be so sure." Urameshi said, waggling a finger annoyingly at Samuso. "Devilish tricky little blighters they can be!"

The pixies were electric blue and about 8 inches high, with pointed faces and voices so shrill it was like listening to a lot of budgies arguing. The moment the cover had been cover had been removed, they had started jabbering and rocketing around, rattling the bars and making bizarre faces at the people nearest to them.

"Right, then. Let's see what you make of them." Urameshi said loudly as he opened the cage.

There was a pandemonium. The pixies shot in every direction like rockets. Two of them seized Ken by the ears and lifted him into the air. Several shot straight through the window, showering the back row with glass. The rest proceeded to wreck the classroom more quickly than a rampaging rhino. They grabbed ink bottles and sprayed the class with them, shredded books and papers, tore pictures, tore pictures from the walls, up-ended the waste basket, grabbed bags and books and threw them out of the smashed window; within minutes, half of the class was sheltering under their desks and Ken was swinging from the iron chandeliers up in the ceiling.

"Come on now, round them up, round them up, they're only pixies." Urameshi shouted.

He rolled up his sleeves, brandished his wand, and bellowed "Peskipiksi Pesternomi!"

It had absolutely no effect; one of the pixies seized his wand and threw it out of the window, too. Urameshi gulped and dived under his own desk, narrowly avoiding being squashed by Ken, who fell a second later as the chandelier gave away.

The bell rang and there was a mad rush toward the exit. In the relative calm that followed, Urameshi straightened up, caught sight of Daisuke, Takeru, Hikari, V-mon, Patamon, and Tailmon, who were almost at the door, and said "Well, I ask you six to just nip to rest of them back into their cage." He swept past them and shut the door quickly behind him.

"Can you **believe** him? !" Patamon roared as one of the remaining pixies bit him painfully on the ear.

"Immobulus!" Hikari pointed her wand at the air and instantly the pixies froze, floating in the air. "He just wants to give us some hands-on experience." Hikari said, after immobilizing the pixies at once with a clever Freezing Charm, and stuffing them back into their cage.

"**Hands on**? !" Daisuke said, trying to grab a pixie dancing out of reach with its tongue out. "Hikari-chan, he didn't have a clue what he was doing!"

"Rubbish. You've read his books, look at all those amazing things he's done."

"He _says_ he's done." Takeru muttered.

* * *

I hope you liked the chapter. And please review.


	6. Mudbloods and Murmurs

I do not own anything

* * *

For the next few days, Daisuke and V-mon found themselves dodging Uramaeshi Honatari and Curoma Cona and Monodramon, who seemed to have get no bigger thrill than hearing Daisuke and V-mon talk to them.

Yushiba was still mad at Daisuke and V-mon for the disastrous car journey and Takeru's wand was still malfunctioning, surpassing itself on Friday morning by shooting out of Takeru's hand in Charms and hitting tiny old Kurushin-sensei squarely between the eyes creating a large, throbbing green boil where it had struck. So with one thing and another, Daisuke and V-mon were quite glad to reach the weekend. They, Takeru, Patamon, Hikari, and Tailmon were planning on visiting Hengai and Muchomon on Saturday morning. Daisuke, however, was shaken awake several hours earlier than he would have like by Ishida Yamato, Captain of the Goono Quidditch team.

"What's the matter?" Daisuke asked groggily.

"Quidditch practice. Come on." Yamato said.

Daisuke squinted his eyes before rubbing them and looked out the window. There was a thin mist hanging across the light bluish sky.

"Yamato-san, it's barely the crack of dawn." Daisuke complained.

"Exactly." Yamato replied. "It's part of our new training program. Come on, grab your broom, let's go."

Daisuke slowly got out of bed and wrote a note explaining to V-mon where he had gone, left it on the nightstand, before searching for his scarlet Quidditch robes. When he finally found them and changed, as he left the dormitory along with everyone else, he heard the noise of rushed footsteps. Looking behind him, he saw Cona and Monodramon chasing after him.

"Daisuke-kun, I heard someone say your name and I came rushing to see what it was! Are you going to play Quidditch? Wow, that's amazing, I've never seen a game of Quidditch before! I don't know exactly how it works." Cona said.

Daisuke, although he liked Cona as a person, found his hyperactivity tiring, even more so than his own, though he couldn't blame the kid for being excited. He remembered how felt when he first came to Butaibo, although he was much more composed. Cona seemed to follow Daisuke like a shadow

Daisuke nevertheless took the time to explain Cona and Monodramn the rules of Quidditch.

"We'll go and get a good seat, Daisuke-kun!" Cona said as he and Monodramon went to the stands while Daisuke went to the changing room to meet up with the others.

Everyone was there, although Yamato was the only on truly awake. Taichi and Jun were snoring, with their heads dropped on Sora's shoulders. Soumi Anara and Akihira Tanami, Goono's two other Chasers along with Sora, were yawning repeatedly, one after another.

Yamato was in front of the blackboard, explaining the tactics, which took nearly 20 minutes, before rolling the blackboard and explaining their next tactic, followed by the third tactic through the third blackboard.

"So…" Yamato said, waking Daisuke up from his daydream about what he could be eating right now at the Great Hall "any questions? Any doubts?"

"Yes." Taichi said, raising his hand high. "Why didn't you tell us this yesterday when we were actually awake?"

"Listen, we lost last year, but that will not happen again. We were the best team, but we lost due to…circumstances beyond our control." Yamato said.

Daisuke felt a bit of guilt rising up in him. Due to his confrontation with Zoltel last year, he was unconscious and thus, Goono was one player short, resulting in their worst defeat in 300 years.

Yamato was obviously still bothered by defeat.

"So this year we'll train harder and longer." Yamato said, seizing his broomstick and leaving the locker rooms, the rest of the team following behind.

They had been in the locker room for so long that the sun was now out completely. As Daisuke walked onto the field, he saw the whole group sitting in the stands, waiting for him, with their breakfasts in their hands.

"Aren't you finished yet?" Takeru asked.

"Haven't even started." Daisuke replied as he looked jealously at their plates. "Hey, would you mind if I…"

Daisuke hand slowly started inching towards Takeru's plate to steal one…okay, two sausages, when Takeru slapped his hand away.

"Just one…"

"No."

"…Not even one?"

"No."

"But I…"

"No."

"Just…"

"No."

"Here, Daisuke." V-mon said, giving Daisuke a plate full of bacon, sausages, toast, potatoes, and scrambled eggs. "I took the opportunity to bring you your breakfast."

"V-mon…thank you so much. You're the best friend in the world." Daisuke said as he devoured the plate in less than a minute.

"Daisuke-san, what's taking you so long?" Yamato complained from the other side of the field.

"Nothing, I coming." Daisuke said, feeling brand new.

Daisuke mounted his broom and soared into the sky, the cool wind waking him up even further. It felt wonderful to be back on the Quidditch field.

"What's that clicking noise?" Jun suddenly said.

Daisuke looked at the stands. Cona and Monodramon were sitting in one of the highest seats, Cona's camera raised, taking picture after picture, the sound strangely magnified in the nearly deserted stadium.

"Look this way, Daisuke-kun! This way!" Cona said shrilly.

Daisuke could feel the heat rising up his face.

"Who's that?" Taichi asked.

"No idea." Daisuke lied, before flying as far away from Cona and Monodramon inside the stadium as possible.

"What's going on?" Yamato said, frowning, as he skimmed through the air towards them. "Why's that first year taking pictures? I don't like it. He could be a Suruberu spy, trying to find out about our new training program."

"Is it just me, or is he starting to become paranoid?" Anari whispered to Taichi, who nodded.

"He's in Goono." Daisuke said quickly.

"And the Suruberu's don't need a spy." Taichi said.

"What makes you say that?" Yamato said testily.

"Because they are here in person." Taichi said, pointing.

Several people in green robes were walking onto the field, broomsticks in their hands.

"I don't believe it." Yamato hissed out in anger.

Yamato shot towards the ground, landing rather harder than he meant to in his anger, staggering slightly as he dismounted. Daisuke, Jun, and Taichi followed.

"Fuji, this is our practice time! You can start leaving." Yamato bellowed the Suruberu Captain.

"There's plenty of room for us all, Ishida." Fuji replied as Sora, Anari and Tanami also arrived.

"I booked the field." Yamato said, his voice now hissing in rage.

"Ah, but I've got a special note here from Sato-sensei." Fuji said as he gave Yamato the letter.

"I, Sato-sensei, give the Suruberu team permission to practice on the Quidditch field owing to the need to train their new Seeker."

"You got a new Seeker?" Yamato asked. "Who?"

From behind the six large figures came a seventh, small boy, smirking all over his pale, pointed face. It was Koaku Ryu.

"Koaku?" Daisuke said in disbelief.

"Aren't you Koaku Yozei's son?" Taichi said.

"Funny you should mention Ryu's father." Fuji said as the Suruberu team smiled even further. "Let me show you the generous gift he made to the Suruberu team."

All of them showed their brand-new, highly-polished broomstick with the golden letter "Nimbus 2001" on it.

"Very latest model. Came out only last month. I believe it outstrips the old 2000 by a considerable amount."

None of the Goono team could think of anything to say for a moment. Koaku was smiling so broadly, his cold eyes reduced to slits.

"Look, a field invasion."

The 3rd Erabareshi Kodomo were crossing the grass to see what was going on.

"What's going on? Why aren't you playing? And what's **he** doing here?" Takeru asked.

"Everyone's just been admiring the new brooms my dad bought for the team." Koaku said smuggly.

Takeru and Ken gaped at the new, super brooms in front of them.

"Good, aren't they? But Goono just might be able to raise some gold to buy new brooms. I pretty sure a museum would bid those old brooms of yours." Koaku said.

"At least no one in Goono had to buy their way in." Miyako said sharply. "They got in on pure talent."

The usual frown returned to Koaku's face as he glared sharply at Miyako.

"No asked your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood." Koaku spat.

Daisuke knew at once that Koaku had said something really bad because there was an instant uproar at his words. Miyako seemed as if she had just been stunned, Fuji had to dive in front of Koaku to stop Taichi, Yamato, and Jun from jumping on him, Anari yelled "How dare you? !". Daisuke felt as if he was always the only one that didn't know things. Ken plunged his hands into his robes, pulled out his wand and yelled "You'll pay for that one, Koaku!", pointing under Fuji's arm at Koaku's face.

Loud bang was heard and a jet of green light shot out the wrong end of Ken's wand, and Ken was hurtled back to the grass.

"Ken-san! Ken-san! Are you alright? !" Miyako asked

Ken sat up and opened his mouth, but instead of words coming out, he belched a slug. The whole Suruberu team was paralyzed in laughter. Fuji doubled over and Koaku was on all fours, banging the ground with his fist.

"Let's get him to Hengai, it's nearest." Daisuke said as he and Miyako, followed by their partners, carried a slug-barfing Ken to Hengai.

(A while later, at Hengai's)

"Better out than in." Hengai said as he placed the bucket before Ken, who immediately started vomiting more slugs. "Nothing to do now but wait. That's a really complicated spell you know. Not surprised it backfired.

Daisuke had explained the whole situation of Ken slug-vomit to Hengai and Muchomon, who strangely, didn't seem bothered by the situation.

"Who was he trying to curse, anyway?" Muchomon asked.

"Koaku. He called Miyako a…well, I don't know exactly what he called her." Daisuke said.

"…He called me a Mudblood." Miyako said as tears started welling up in her eyes again.

"He didn't!" Hengai said outrage.

"…What's a Mudblood?" V-mon asked.

"It's the most foul name for someone who is a Muggle-born…Someone of non-magic parents…Someone like me…" Miako said as the tears started running down her face.

"You see, Daisuke-kun, V-mon, there are some wizards, like the Koaku family, who think they're better than everyone because they're what people call pure-blood. Rubbish! They haven't invented a spell our Miyako can't do!" Hengai said.

"It's disgusting, really." Ken said, before lowering his head for another belch, then rising back up again. "I mean, look at me. I am a pure-blood and I can hardly stand a cauldron the right way up. Most wizards these days are half-bloods. We would've died out, hadn't we married Muggles."

"Listen to me, dear, you don't listen to a word he says. Cause deep down, you are one of the best witches to ever walk this planet." Hengai said, looking at Miyako.

Miyako gave a soft smile as she started wiping her tears.

"But maybe it was a good thing your spell backfired, Ken. Koaku Yozei would've come marching up to the school, had you. Least yer not in trouble. Come here, want to show you something." Hengai told the six as they walked outside to see a field filled with the biggest pumpkins they've ever seen.

"An Engorgement Charm, I suppose." Miyako said, looking at the huge pumpkins. "Well, you've done a good job on them."

At lunchtime, they left Hengai's hut back to the castle when, barely setting foot inside, they were met by Nakamura-sensei, White and BlackPawnChessmon, Takeru, and Patamon.

"There you are, Motomiya, V-mon." Nakamura-sensei said with a stern look on her face. "Both you, Takaishi, V-mon, and Patamon will be serving detention this evening."

"What are we doing, sensei?" Patamon asked.

"You and Takaishi will be polishing the silver in the trophy room with Fuki-san. And no magic."

Patamon and Takeru gulped.

"As for you, Motomiya and V-mon, you will be helping Urameshi-san answer his fan mail."

"Oh no. Sensei, can't we go do the trophy room, too?" Daisuke pleaded.

"No, you may not. Urameshi-sensei requested you two personally. 8'o clock sharp." Nakamura said as she and her partners left.

"You lucky bastard." V-mon muttered.

"Why? You got the best of it." Patamon said.

"I'd swap with you any time." V-mon said.

(Later that night)

Daisuke and V-mon held their throbbing hands. They were almost finished helping Urameshi with his mail. Uramaeshi, of course, hadn't stopped talking since they arrived, about how great it was that the two of them had the opportunity to sign letters with him. Daisuie and V-mon couldn't ever remember time passing more slowly.

Then they heard something. Something quite apart from the spitting of the dying candles and Urameshi prattle about his fans.

It was a voice, a voice that sent a chill down the bone, a voice of breath-taking, ice-cold venom.

"_Come…Come to me…Let me rip you…Let me tear you…Let me kill you…_"

Daisuke and V-mon gave a huge jump.

"**What**? !" They practically yelled.

"I know! Six months at the top of the best-seller list! Broke all records!" Urameshi said.

"No! That voice!" Daisuke said.

"Sorry? What voice?" Urameshi said.

"That…that…voice! Didn't you hear it?" Daisuke asked.

Urameshi was looking at Daisuke and V-mon in astonishment.

"What are you two talking about? Perhaps you're getting a little bit drowsy. And no wonder. Look at the time. Time sure has flown by, hasn't it?"

Daisuke and V-mon didn't answer. They were straining their ears to hear the voice again, but all they heard instead was Urameshi saying how they shouldn't expect a treat like this every time they got detention. They were sure they had hard the voice. The two of them had heard it after all. Still, both Daisuke and V-mon left.

It was so late in the Goono common room it was practically empty. Daisuke headed straight to the dormitory along with V-mon, changed into his pajamas, got into bed, and waited for Takeru and Patamon to arrive. 30 minutes later, they appeared.

"Ow…My whole body hurts." Takeru groaned. "How was it with Urameshi?"

Keeping a low voice so to not wake Ken, Wormmon, Samuso, Hagurumon, Rei, or Spadamon up, Daisuke and V-mon told Takeru and Patamon exactly.

"And Urameshi couldn't hear it? Think he was lying? But I don't get it; even someone invisible would have had to open the door." Takeru said with a frown shown clearly by the moonlight.

"I know. We don't get it either." Daisuke said as he and V-mon laid back down on their beds.

* * *

Sorry it took so long to update. I hope you like the chapter and please, review.


	7. Deathday Party

I do not own anything.

* * *

October arrived, spreading a damp chill over the grounds and into the castle. Madam Nophsu found herself busy with the spate of colds that spread over the staff and students. Her Pepperup potion worked instantly, though it left the drinker smoking at the ears for several hours afterwards. Hikari, who had been looking pale, was bullied into taking some by Taichi.

Yamato's enthusiasm for regular training sessions, however, was not dampened, which is why Daisuke was to be found, late one stormy Saturday afternoon a few days before Halloween, returning to Goono Tower, drenched to the skin and splattered with mud. Even aside from the raid and wind it hadn't been a nice practice. Taichi and Jun, who had been spying on the Suruberu team, had seen the speed of the new Nimbus 2001s. They reported that Suruberu was no more that seven greenish blurs like missiles.

As he walked down the corridors he found Ogai muttering under his breath.

"Hello Ogai…" Daisuke muttered.

"Hello Daisuke-dono." Ogai replied. "You look troubled, young Motomiya."

"So do you." Daisuke replied.

"Yes, well, a matter of no matter, although getting hit in the neck by a blunt axe 45 time until only an inch of skin connected it to your body would fulfill the requirements for one to be able to join the Headless Hunt, but no, I'm not good enough for Shogen Raikara! Well, anyways, what's bothering you Daisuke-dono." Ogai asked after his little vent out.

Before Daisuke even had the opportunity to answer, his and Ogai's attention were directed at the sound that came from Daisuke's ankles. Ms. Dam, Fuki's cat, sat there, staring at Daisuke with her cold, unflinching yellow eyes. Wherever Ms. Dam was, Fuki was far behind.

"You better get out of here, Daisuke-dono. Fuki is in a bad mood; he has recently gotten the flu and has been cleaning since morning. If he sees you dripping mud in the castle…"

"You're right."

However, before Daisuke could leave, there was Fuki, right around the corner. He was so red it seemed like he might explode.

"You, boy, come with me!" Fuki said as Daisuke followed Fuki down to the dungeons and into his office. Daisuke had heard stories of Fuki's office but had never been there. He could see the several items he had confiscated from students, some being Taichi's own.

Daisuke tried to argue his defense as Fuki filed the papers, although Daisuke new it was all in vain. Just when he thought there was nothing more he could do, a loud crash from outside called for the their attentions.

"MOJO!" Fuki roared in rage at the poltergeist, who stuck his tongue out at the Fuki. "Get back here! I'll have you for this!"

While Fuki chased after Mojo, Daisuke just stood there in his office, until he noticed a paper on the table. "Kwikspell". Intrigued, Daisuke started reading the content. It appeared to be some sort of course for people who weren't exactly proper wizards. But why on Earth would Fuki need it. Daisuke was snapped out of his thoughts just as he heard footsteps down the stairs. But he was a moment to late as Fuki arrived to see he just as he laid the envelope on the table. Fuki's face went red as Daisuke had never seen before.

"You…Did you read it?" Fuki asked, his voice trembling.

"No." Daisuke lied.

"It's my private…but not mine…it's for a friend…be that as it may…however…" Fuki stuttered.

Daisuke new just b looking at Fuki that he was screwed.

"Very well…go…and don't breathe a word…not that…however, if you didn't read…go now, I have to write Mojo's report…go." Fuki said.

Daisuke couldn't believe his luck as he left the office, up the corridor, and back upstairs.

"Daisuke-dono! Daisuke-dono! Did it work?"

Nearly-Headless Ogai came gliding down the classroom.

"I persuaded Mojo to crash a cabinet right over Fuki's office." Ogai said.

"Was that you? Yeah, it worked, I didn't even get detention. Thanks, Ogai-dono." Daisuke said. "Wish there was something I could do for you."

Ogai stopped right on his tracks.

"Well, actually there is." Ogai said.

"Name it." Daisuke said.

(Later that night)

"Why did I agree to this?" Daisuke questioned.

"A promise is a promise. You said you'd go." Miyako reminded him.

"Well, I…" Daisuke tried to argue by was immediately shut up by Takeru.

"Daisuke, don't try to argue. It'll just make matters worse." Takeru said.

"Fine." Daisuke exasperated. "So shall we take a look around?"

The six of them went around looking when Daisuke and Takeru were grabbed by the collars by Miyako, making their partners look back to see what was wrong.

"Oh, no. Turn back, I don't want to talk to Moaning Mamoru." Miyako said as she dragged them in the opposite direction.

"…Moaning who?" Daisuke and V-mon asked.

"Moaning Mamoru. She's a ghost that haunts one of the toilets in the girls bathroom in the 1st floor." Miyako explained.

"She haunts a toilet?" Patamon questioned.

"Yes. It's been out of order because she keeps having tantrums and flooding the place. I never went in there if I could avoid it." Miyako said.

"Look, food!" Daisuke, Takeru, V-mon, and Patamon said as they saw the food, but immediately stopped on their tracks when the felt the foul smell being emitted by it.

Daisuke watched as a portly ghost approached the table, crouched low, and walked through it, his mouth so wide it could pass through one of the stinking salmons.

"Can you taste it if you walk through it?" V-mon asked.

"Almost." Said the ghost sadly, and drifted away.

"I think they've let it rot to give it a stronger flavor." Miyako said knowledgeably, pinching her nose and looking in to look closer at the putrid haggis.

"Can we move? I feel sick." Takeru said.

They had barely turned around, however, when a little man swooped suddenly from under the table and came to a halt in midair before them.

"Hello, Jojo." Daisuke said cautiously.

"Nibbles?" Jojo said, offering a bowl of peanuts covered with fungus.

"No, thanks." Hawkmon replied.

"Heard you talking about poor Mamoru. Rude you was about poor Mamoru." Jojo said, his eyes dancing. He took a deep breath and bellowed "OY! MAMORU-CHAN!"

"Oh, no, Jojo, don't tell her what I said, she'll be really upset." Miyako whispered frantically. "I didn't mean it, I don't mind her-er, hello, Mamoru."

The squat ghost of a girl had glided over. She had the glummest face Daisuke and V-mon had ever seen, half-hidden behind lank hair and thick, pearly spectacles.

"What?" She asked sulkily.

"How are you, Mamoru? Nice to see you out of the toilet." Miyako said in a falsely bright voice.

"Inoue-san was just talking about you." Said Jojo slyly in Mamoru's ear.

"Just saying…saying…how nice you look tonight." Miyako said, glaring at Jojo.

Mamoru eyed Miyako suspiciously.

"You're making fun of me." She said, silver tears welling up rapidly in her small, see-through eyes.

"No, honestly, didn't I just say how nice Mamoru's looking?"

When it took Daisuke and Takeru too long to back her up, Miyako nudged them painfully in the ribs.

"Oh yeah…"

"She did…"

"Don't lie to me." Mamoru said, tears now flooding down her face, while Jojo watched with pleasure over her shoulder. "Do you think I don't know what people call me behind my back? Fat Mamoru! Ugly Mamoru! Miserable, moaning, moping Mamoru!"

"You've forgotten pimply." Jojo said.

"Pimply! Pimply!"

Moaning Mamoru burst into anguished sobs and fled from the dungeons, earning Jojo heavy glares from the Erabareshi Kodomo.

"Oh, dear." Miyako said sadly as she looked at the place through which Mamoru had left.

Daisuke and V-mon was very cold by now, not to mention hungry.

"I can't stand much more of this." Patamon muttered, folding his years as the orchestra began and the ghost swept into the dance floor.

Daisuke, seeing as how he had already talked to Ogai and some of his guests, decided his duty there had been done.

"Let's go." Daisuke said.

They backed towards the door, nodding and beaming at anyone who looked at them, and a minute later were hurrying back up the passageway full of black candles.

"Pudding might not be finished yet." Takeru said hopefully, leading the way towards the steps to the Entrance Hall.

And then Daisuke and V-mon heard it.

"_…rip…tear…kill…_"

It was the same voice. The same cold, murderous voice they had heard in Urameshi's office.

They stumbled to a halt, clutching at the stone wall, listening with all their might, looking around, squinting up and down the dimly lit passageway.

"V-mon, Daisuke, what're you…?" Hawkmon asked but was immediately silenced.

"It's that voice again. Shut up a minute."

"Soo hungry…for so long…"

"Listen!" Daisuke said urgently, and the others froze, watching him and V-mon.

"_…kill…time to kill…_"

The voice was growing fainter. Daisuke and V-mon were sure it was moving away, moving upward. A mixture of fear and anxiety gripped him as he stared at the dark ceiling; how could it be moving upward? Was it a phantom, to whom stone ceilings didn't matter?

"This way!" Daisuke and V-mon shouted as they began to run up the stairs, into the Entrance Hall. It was no good to hear anything here, the babble of talk from the Halloween feast was echoing out the Great Hall. Daisuke and V-mon sprinted up the marble staircase to the 1st floor, Takeru, Miyako, and Hawkmon clattering behind them.

"Daisuke, what're we…"

"Shh!"

Daisuke and V-mon strained their ears. Distantly, from the floor above, and growing fainter still, they heard the voice.

"_I smell blood…I SMELL BLOOD_!"

Their stomachs lurched.

"It's going to kill someone!" They shouted, ignoring the other bewildered faces, and ran up the stairs, trying to listen.

Daisuke and V-mon hurtled around the 2nd floor, their four friends panting behind them, not stopping until they turned a corner into the last deserted passage.

"Daisuke, what was that all about? I couldn't hear anything." Takeru questioned.

But Miyako gave a sudden gasp, pointing down the corridor.

"**Look!**"

Something was shining on the wall ahead. They approached slowly, squinting through the darkness. Foot-high words had been daubed on the walls between two windows, shimmering in the light cast by the flaming torches.

**THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE.**

"It's written in blood." Miyako said in horror.

"What's that thing…hanging underneath?" Patamon asked, a slight quiver in his voice.

As they edged nearer, Daisuke almost slipped from the large puddle of water beneath them, but was grabbed by Takeru and Miyako. They inched closer towards the message, eyes fixed on the dark shadow beneath it. All six of them realized what it was at once, and leapt backward with a splash.

Ms. Dam, the caretaker's cat, was hanging by her tail from the torch bracket. She was stiff as a board, her eyes wide and staring.

For a few seconds, they didn't move. Then Patamon said "Let's get out of here."

"Shouldn't we try to help…" V-mon began awkwardly.

"Trust me. We don't want to be found here." Takeru said.

But it was too late. Several footsteps could be heard from either end of the corridor told them the feast had ended. The next moment, students appeared into the passage from both ends.

The chatter, the bustle, the noise died suddenly as the people in front spotted the hanging cat. Daisuke, Takeru, Miyako, V-mon, Patamon, and Hawkmon stood alone, in the middle of the corridor, as silence fell among the mass of students pressing forward to see the grisly sight.

Then someone shouted through the quiet.

"Enemies of the Heir, beware! You'll be next, Mudbloods!"

It was Koaku Ryu. He had pushed to the front of the crowd, his cold eyes alive, his usually bloodless face flushed, as he grinned at the sight of the hanging, immobile cat.

* * *

Well, I hope you liked the chapter. To name: I chose Spadamon cause I'm going to give him evolutions. Well, anyway, please review.


	8. The Writing on the Wall

I do not own anything.

* * *

"What's going on here? What's going on?"

No doubt attracted by Koaku's shout, Fuki came shouldering through the crowd. Needless, to say, once he saw Ms. Dam, he fell back with a face of horror.

"My cat! My cat! What happened to her? !" Fuki shrieked.

And then his eyes fell on Daisuke.

"You! It was **you**!" Fuki said as he grabbed Daisuke by the collar and raised his fist. "I'll kill you! I'll kill…"

"Aru!"

Damaro and Hyokomon, followed by a number of teachers, arrived at the scene. Damaro took Ms. Dam into his hands.

"Come with me, Aro. You to, Motomiya-san, Takaishi-san, Inoue-san, V-mon, Patamon, Hawkmon."

"Feel free to use my office, Headmaster, it's nearest." Urameshi said.

"Thank you."

All of them left the scene and went to the Defense Against the Dark Arts office. Damaro and Hyokomon, as well as Nakamura, were looking closely at the cat, while Sato and Impmon stood in the background. While Sato seemed like he was trying hard not to smile, Impmon had a huge nasty grin on his face. But even that was more preferable to Urameshi's banter.

"It was definitely a curse that killed her; probably the Transmogrifian Curse. So unlucky I wasn't there, I've seen it many times; know the countercurse that would stop it." Urameshi said.

With each sentence, Fuki seemed to cry even more.

At last, Damaro stood up.

"She's not dead, Aki."

Everyone in the room stopped and looked at him.

"Not dead?" Fuki said, a tone of slight relief noticeable. "But why is she all…stiff and frozen?"

"She has been petrified." Hyokomon said.

"Ah! I thought so!" Urameshi said.

"Although I cannot say how."

"Ask him!" Fuki said. "He did it! He did it! You saw what he wrote on the walls! "

"This is advanced Dark Magic beyond the capabilities of a 2nd year." Damaro said.

"It was him! He knows I'm a Squib!" Fuki said.

"I didn't touch her!" Daisuke said. "I don't even know what a Squib is."

"Lies!" Fuki said.

"Forgive me, Headmaster. Perhaps Motomiya and his friends were simply at the wrong place at the wrong time." Sato said.

Daisuke, V-mon, and the others all looked at each other. Okay, something was seriously wrong.

"However…"

There it was.

"…one has to admit it is quite suspicious. I, for one, do not recall seeing Motomiya and his friends at the Halloween Feast."

The group immediately went into explanation of how they were at the deathday party.

"And why not go to the Feast afterwards."

"We weren't hungry." Patamon said. And then his stomach grumbled.

"Motomiya isn't being entirely truthful." Sato said with a nasty smile. "I suggest he receive some sort of punishment, such as being taken off the Goono Quidditch team until he is ready to be honest."

"Really, Savaro. The cat wasn't hit over the heat with a broomstick. I see no reason to stop the boy from playing Quidditch. There is no evidence at all that Motomiya did anything wrong." Nakamura said.

"Innocent until proven guilty, Savaro." Damaro said.

Sato and Impmon looked furious, as did Fuki.

"My cat has been petrified…I want to see some punishment!"

"Moyashi-san grows some excellent Mandrakes, Aru. As soon as they reach full size, I'll have a potion made to revive Ms. Dam. We will be able to cure her." Damaro said before turning to the kids. "You may go."

As the group each headed their own way, Daisuke asked.

"Do you think we should have told them? About the voice?"

"Are you crazy. Hearing voices no one else can is a bad sign, even in the Wizarding World." Takeru said.

"What's a Squib, by the way?" V-mon asked.

"It's actually the opposite of a Muggle-born. A person born in a wizard family who can't use magic. Quite funny actually. Explains why he hates students so much." Patamon said.

As Daisuke, V-mon, Takeru, Patamon split with Miyako and Hawkmon.

For the next few days, all the school could talk about was what happened to Ms. Dam. Jerai and Kotemon had been avoiding Daisuke and V-mon. Hikari seemed very disturbed by Ms. Dam's fate, which Daisuke and V-mon naturally dismissed as being due to her partner also being a feline.

Daisuke, Takeru, Miyako, V-mon, Patamon, and Hawkmon were now at the library, which had been fairly common in the last recent days.

"I can't find it!" Miyako said. "A book with information on the Chamber of Secrets…"

"That's what you've been looking for for days?" Daisuke asked.

"Yup. I've been looking for the legend. But I can't remember nor find it. And all copies are lent." Miyako said.

The bell rang at they went to their class, History of Magic. The class was as boring as ever, with no one paying attention as usual…with the exception of Hikari, Miyako, Tailmon, and Hawkmon.

The professor, Gon-sensei, the ghost professor, had been reading for half an hour now when Miyako raised her hand.

"Yes, Inoue-san?" The ghost asked, glancing at his student.

"Sensei, I was wondering if you could tell us more about…the Chamber of Secrets." Miyako asked.

The whole class seemed to finally wake up at that.

"…My subject is a History of Magic, Inoue-san. I deal with facts, not myths and legends?" Gon-sensei said.

"But don't they always say that myths and legends are based on facts?" Miyako questioned.

"Yes, well…that can be true. Very well." Gon-sensei said. "As you all know, this school was founded more than 1000 years ago by the four greatest wizards and witches. Goono Godai, Hikomeina Hanabara, Chuhoru Chana, and Suruberu Sanabara. They built this castle far from Muggle eyes, for it was an age in which magic was feared by common people, and witches and wizards suffered greatly. For a while, they lived in perfect harmony, seeking out youngsters who showed signs of magic and bringing them here to be educated. Until disagreements broke out between them and another one…

"I can already guess who." Takeru whispered to Daisuke. But then again, so could Daisuke.

"Suruberu wished to be more selective of students. He believed education and admission into Butaibo should be allowed only to people of pure-magical families; that children of Muggle-parentage were untrustworthy and…_i__nferior_."

Daisuke and V-mo saw from the corner of their eyes Koaku and Dracomon grin at that. They felt like personally whipping off that grin.

"After a while, there was a serious argument between Goono and Suruberu, and many think Suruberu left. But that's not all. The truth that few know is that Goono and Suruberu had a duel. Goono came out as the victor, barely, and he forced Suruberu out of the school. Suruberu left the school, disgraced. But legends say that before he left, he built a chamber, hidden somewhere in the school. This chamber was sealed by him, so that none could open until his true heir came back and opened the chamber, unleashing the horror inside it, and purge all those unworthy to study magic. The school has been searched many times and I can assure no chamber has ever been found."

The whole class stood silent for a moment, absorbing what they had just heard. Miyako then raised her hand again.

"Yes, Inoue-san?"

"Do the legends say what's inside of the chamber?"

"The legends are very vague but they say that the Chamber of Secrets…is the home of a monster." Gon-sensei said.

At that moment, the bell rang, the students stood up and left the classroom.

"If the Chamber of Secrets has been open." Hikari said, approaching the group and speaking to them for the first time on the matter. "That can only mean one thing."

"The heir of Suruberu is back." Patamon said. "Now, the question is who is it?"

"Let's see?" Takeru said in a slight sarcastic tone as he looked off at a certain person. "Who do we know that's a complete ass, believe that all Muggle-born are scum, and that only pure-bloods should be allowed in Butaibo, and whose family has been in Suruberu since forever?"

"Koaku?" Daisuke said. "Nah…I mean, it could be him, but…he normally barks more than he bites."

"Still…" Hikari said. "We have to find out."

And then Cona and Monodramon appeared.

"Hey, V-mon, Daisuke, did you hear the rumors?" Monodramons said.

"What rumors?" V-mon asked.

"They're saying that you two are the heir of Suruberu." Cona said.

"What?"

"Yeah, that's what's going around. Jerai and Kotemon are scared to death of you."

"Yeah, well, thanks for telling me, Cona." Daisuke said as he and the others continued. "Great now I'm a suspect. Let's get to the bottom of this and finish it."

"I have plan." Hikari said. "All we need to do is get into the Suruberu Common Room and ask Koaku if he's the heir.

"Oh that should be easy. Why don't we add hamburgers and French fries with that?" V-mon said sarcastically, earning a glare from Hikari.

"Even if we did make it into the Common Room, which we won't, what would make you think Koaku and Dracomon would tell us anything?" Patamon asked.

"Because they won't be telling _us_ anything." Hikari replied.

"…Guys?" Daisuke said.

"Yeah?" Takeru asked.

"Is it me, or has Hikari-chan lost her mind?"

"Yeah, we were thinking the same thing."

The joke between them earned a harsh glare from Hikari.

"Fine, you know what? Figure this out yourselves." Hikari said as she turned around.

"Hikari-chan, we're just messing around. Come on, tell us, what do you mean."

"I mean we disguise ourselves as Suruberu students and have Koaku tell us everything." Hikari replied.

"And how do we do that?" Takeru asked.

"It's dangerous. We'd be breaking about 50 school rules, and if we got caught, we'd be done for." Tailmon said.

"Not that that it'd be our first time. We did this a million times before last year." V-mon said.

"There's this potion know as Polyjuice Potion. It can make you appear identical to someone else." Hikari said. "But it'll take a while to make it."

"How long?" Daisuke asked.

"A month."

"A month? !" Daisuke said. "Koaku could attack half of the Muggle-borns in school by then."

"We don't have any other choice." Tailmon said.

"…Then Polyjuice Potion it is." V-mon said.

* * *

I hope you all liked the chapter. Sorry it took so long to review. I'll update this story soon and I'll try to update more frequently.


	9. The Rogue Bludger

I do not own anything.

* * *

With the Polyjuice Potion only ready within a month, Daisuke decided to focus all of his time on Quidditch. Suruberu had the best brooms yet that's to Koaku's filthy rich father. The whole team had been giving it their all during practice, and while they were gaining a bit more of confidence that they could maybe win this game, they still didn't feel completely sure.

During the day of the game, Daisuke woke up early. He was too nervous to get any more sleep.

He looked to the side to see his partner sleeping without a care in the world at the next bed. So he quietly stood up so as to not wake anybody up, got dressed, and headed down to have an early breakfast. To his surprise, he found the rest of the team there, all sitting on a single table, the rest of them empty.

"Couldn't sleep either?" Daisuke asked his sister as he sat down.

"No. Everyone here's too nervous about the match." Jun said as she ate her breakfast.

Daisuke filled his plate with as much as he could possibly eat. Last time, during his first Quidditch match, he was too nervous to eat. This time, he was still nervous, but nervous with anticipation at winning.

"They have better brooms; no point in denying that. " Yamato said. "But we have better players. We've trained harder. We're going to win, and we're going to make them regret ever letting Koaku buy his way into their team"

Yamato then turned to face Daisuke.

"It'll all be down to you, Daisuke-san, to show them that a Seeker has to have something more than a rich father. Get to that Snitch before Koaku or die trying, Daisuke-san, because we've got to win today."

"Geez, relax, Yamato." Taichi said. "No pressure, Daisuke-san, just do your best."

But Daisuke couldn't afford his best today. He had to do better than his best.

The Goono Quidditch team went to the pitch, were they were greeted by a loud wave of cheers from everyone except Suruberu. The referee asked them to walk into the stage and for Yamato and Fuji to shake hands, although they did so rather forcefully.

"Alright, on my count. 1…2…3." Madam Inryo said as she blew the whistle and the teams flew into the air.

Yoshi was narrating the game, just like last time.

Suruberu had a lead on the game. The brooms were faster, allowing them to get the Quaffle and Bludgers first. The team wasn't losing too much so as to be humiliating, thanks to Yamato, but they were still pretty far behind by 20 minutes into it. The Goono team barely grabbed the Quaffle, and Suruberu would already catch up to them and knock it out of their hands and grab it to begin a counterattack.

As the Seeker, Daisuke couldn't do much except keep his eyes open for the Snitch.

He tried getting in the way of some of the Suruberu players, but that did little for them.

Suruberu easily dodged and scored.

As they flew by, Daisuke saw Koaku Yozei seating beside Sato and Impmon on one of the obelisks of the stadium.

"All right there, Scarhead?" Koaku asked as he flew behind Daisuke.

Daisuke glared at Koaku, and was about to reply, but didn't have time when Bludger came flying in his direction. He dropped quickly to avoid and Jun managed to hit it hard towards Koaku. Problem was, the Bludger came flying back at him. What was happening; Bludgers never focused on one person. Daisuke flew away, past Taichi, who was waiting for the Bludger with his club, swung it as hard as he could. But the Bludger dodged it, as if magnetically attracted to Daisuke, and continued flying at him.

"Someone's tampered with this Bludger!" Taichi said as he and Jun hit the Bludger from time to time as they started flying beside Daisuke.

"Time out!" Jun said.

Madam Inryo blew the whistle and the team descended to the ground.

"What's going on? Taichi, Jun-san, where were you when that Bludger nearly hit Sora-chan?" Yamato asked.

"We were trying to prevent a Bludger from killing Daisuke." Jun said angrily. "Someone's fixed it, it won't leave Daisuke alone. The Suruberu's must've done something to it."

"Listen, I won't be able to catch the Snitch with you two flying beside me. Go back to the rest of the team and let me deal with the rogue one." Daisuke said.

"Are you crazy? It'll kill you, your head will be ripped off!" Taichi said.

"Yamato-san, this is insane. You can't leave Daisuke-san to handle that thing alone. Ask for an inquiry." Anari said.

"No! If we stop now, we'll have to forfeit the match, and we're not gonna lose because of some stupid Bludger. Come on, Yamato-san, tell them to leave me alone." Daisuke said.

"This is all your fault!" Jun said angrily. ""Get the Snitch or die trying!" What a stupid thing to tell him!"

Yamato looked at Daisuke's determined face.

"Alright, Daisuke-san. But be careful. Taichi, Jun-san, you heard Daisuke, leave him alone with the Bludger." Yamato said before turning to Madam Inryo so they could resume play.

As they went back to the game, Daisuke had no choice but to keep dodging the Bludger, which time and time again came after him. He was actually starting to feel dizzy.

"Watch yourself, Daisuke-san." Yamato said as Daisuke dodged the Bludger one more time.

"Yamato-san, look out!" Daisuke said as the Bludger started coming back. As soon as the blonde turned his head, the Bludger slammed into his broom and charged at Daisuke again.

Daisuke flew around the stadium trying to dodge the Bludger, and was able to temporarily get rid of it by doing a barrel roll.

"Training for the ballet, Motomiya?" Koaku asked.

And that's when Daisuke saw the Snitch behind him. He quickly rushed to grab it. Koaku must've thought he was flying towards him, because he quickly got out of the way, but when he saw Daisuke continue flying, he flew after him for what could only be the Snitch. He slammed Daisuke to the side and reached out for the Snitch, only for Daisuke to do the same. The two chased after the Snitch as fast as they could, and when it went to the sides of the stadium, they chased after it, under beneath the stands. When Daisuke heard something swishing behind him, he looked back to see the Bludger after him again.

And that's when Daisuke had an idea. Get to Koaku. Koaku rushed forward to trying and catch the Snitch, but not before looking back at Daisuke to say "You'll never catch me, Motomiya!"

Daisuke also rushed forward to get as near to Koaku as he could. When the Bludger got close to him, he dodged it. Koaku also barely dodged it, but lost control of his broom and hit a log, causing him to fly off his broom and onto the field, hitting the floor several times as he rolled into the air, before falling on his butt and falling back to the floor.

The Snitch then flew back to the stadium followed by Daisuke, who had his arm out, almost reaching it, but he stayed a second to long. The Bludger slammed into him elbow and Daisuke felt his arm break.

But he wasn't gonna quit. He was too close. Rushing a bit more, Daisuke put out his left arm and grabbed the Snitch, but lost balance and rolled and slid violently across the field. But when he heard Yoshi, he knew it was all worth it.

"Motomiya Daisuke has caught the Snitch! Goono wins!"

And then he fainted.

He mustn't have been asleep for too long because when he woke up, he was still in the stadium, and he saw his friends and Urameshi beside him.

"Daisuke-kun, you okay?" Hikari asked.

"No, I think I broke my arm." Daisuke said.

"Not to worry, Daisuke, I will fix that arm of yours straight away." Urameshi said.

"No, not you."

"Poor fellow doesn't know what he's saying."

"Why can't I just go to the Hospital Wing?" Daisuke asked.

"Don't worry, this won't hurt a bit." Urameshi said as he took Daisuke's arm and rolled up the sleeve. He pointed his wand at it and muttered an incantation. When Urameshi finished, he lifted Daisuke's arm…only to see he was pure rubber. He had removed Daisuke's bones.

"Well…at least it's not broken anymore." Urameshi said.

"Broken? ! There aren't any bones left!" Muchomon said.

Urameshi then folded Daisuke's hand up until his arm, making him pass out.

"Much more flexible, though." Urameshi said.

(A while later)

Madam Nopshu was not pleased.

"Stop moaning Koaku-san you can go." She then turned back to Daisuke. "He should have been brought straight to me! I can mend bones in a heartbeat but growing them back is another story." She said.

'You will be able to, won't you?" V-mon asked desperately.

"Certainly, but it's gonna be painful. You're in for a rough night, Motomiya." Madam Nopshu said as she poured a cup with a liquid and gave it to Daisuke.

Daisuke barely gave a sip before spitting it out.

"What did you expect; soda?" Madam Nopshu asked. "This boy needs to rest. He has to regrow 33 bones. Everyone out!"

(Later that night)

Hours later, during the middle of the night, Daisuke woke up, feeling a strange presence behind him. He felt like his arm had large splinters. He could only use his left arm. He sharply turned and grabbed the figure to realize it was…Dobu?"

"Hello, sir." Dobu said.

"Dobu? What are you doing here?" Daisuke asked.

"Motomiya Daisuke should've listened to Dobu! Motomiya Daisuke should have gone home when he missed the train!" Dobu said.

"How do you know I missed the train? Wait a minute, you closed the passage!"

The following silence was the only answer Daisuke needed.

"You nearly got Takeru, Patamon, V-mon, and me expelled!" Daisuke said.

"At least Motomiya Daisuke and V-mon would be safe. Motomiya Daisuke and V-mon must go home." Dobu said. "Dobu thought the Bludger would be enough to make him…"

"Your Bludger? You made that Bludger attack me?" Daisuke asked. "Are you trying to kill me?"

"Dobu feels most aggrieved, sir. Dobu had to iron his hands." Dobu said as he showed Daisuke his bandaged hands.

"You better get out of here before I strangle you."

Dobu yelped as he leaped off the bed.

"Dobu's used to death threats, sir. Dobu receives them 5 times a day."

He blew his nose on the filthy pillowcase he wore. Daisuke felt a huge sting of guilt pass through him.

"Why do you wear that thing, Dobu?" Daisuke asked.

"This, sir, is the mark of the house-elves enslavement. Dobu can only be free if his master presents him with clothes."

They then heard something far away. Someone was coming.

"Listen, listen! Dobu said. "Terrible things are about to happen at Butaibo, now that the Chamber of Secrets has been open once more."

Dobu suddenly froze, horrorstruck at what he said. He then grabbed the bottle beside him and started hitting himself in the head. "Bad Dobu! Bad Dobu!"

"Stop it! Stop it!" Daisuke said as he grabbed the bottle and took it from Dobu. "You mean the Chamber of Secrets exists? And it has been open once? Who did it before? Who's doing it now?"

"Dobu cannot say. Dobu only wants Motomiya Daisuke and V-mon safe."

"Dobu, I have friends who are Muggle-borns and they'll be the first in line." Daisuke said.

They then heard footsteps approaching them. With a snap of his fingers, Dobu disappeared. Daisuke leaped back into bead, pretending to be asleep. He could tell by the footsteps that it was more than just one person. He could see Damaro-sensei, Hyokomon, Nakamura-sensei, White and BlackPawnChessmon and Madam Nopshu. And in Damaro's arms was Cona and Monodramon. They were petrified.

"We think they were sneaking here to visit Motomiya." BlackPawnChessmon said.

"Maybe the camera's captured something." WhitePawnChessmon said.

When Damaro took the camero from Cona's rigid hands and opened it, smoke hissed out of it, along with a few sparks

"What does this mean, Damaro?" Nakamura-sensei asked.

"It means that our students are in grave danger."

"What shall I tell the staff?" Nakamura-sensei asked.

"Tell them the truth. Tell them Butaibo is no longer safe. It is as we feared, Miu. The Chamber of Secrets is indeed open once again." Damaro said.

Madam Nopshu clapped her hands over her mouth. Nakamura-sensei stared at Damaro.

"But, Abura…surely…who?" Nakamura-sensei asked.

"The question is not who. The question is _how_."

Daisuke could tell by the look on Nakamura's face that she didn't understand it either.

* * *

I hope you all liked the chapter and review, please.


	10. The Dueling Club

I do not own anything.

* * *

"Again? You mean the Chamber of Secrets has been open before?" Tailmon asked.

Once Daisuke was cleared from the Hospital Wing, he told Hikari, Takeru, V-mon, Tailmon, and Patamon what he heard the previous night. They were in the girls' bathroom again. They were brewing the Polyjuice Potion there. It was the safest place to hide it. Daisuke noticed that Hikari looked a little pale. When he asked her about it, she brushed it off as having had a nightmare last night.

"Of course. Don't you see?" Takeru said as if it was obvious. "Koaku Yozei must've opened the Chamber of Secrets when he was here in school. And now he's taught dear old Ryu how to do it. Wish Dobu would've told you what kind of monster it is, though. I want to know how come nobody's noticed it sneaking around the school."

"Maybe it can make itself invisible. Or it can disguise itself into something, such as a suit of armor. I read about the Chameleon Ghouls." Hikari said.

"You read too much." V-mon said.

Hikari just replied with a playful glare.

"Anyway, we'll have to wait for the Polyjuice Potion to know for sure." Hikari said.

"So Dobu stopped us from getting on that train and broke your arm?" V-mon asked. "You know, Daisuke, if he doesn't stop trying to save you, he'll end up killing you."

"Don't you think we should tell Miyako and Hawkmon about this? I mean, they are involved. They were with us when we found Ms. Dam." Takeru asked.

"One step ahead of ya. I already told them. They're in on the plan, trying to help us from their end." Hikari answered.

The news about Cona and Monodramon had already spread out through the entire school. The 1st years were scared out of their minds. The other Erabareshi Kodomo were concerned about what to do.

A week after the incident, as everyone descended for dinner, they were approached by Samuso and Hagurumon.

"Hey, guys, did you hear the news?"

"What news?" Daisuke asked.

"They're starting a Dueling Club. First meeting is tonight after dinner. For all those who want to attend." Samuso said before he and Hagurumon hurried to catch up with Rei and Spadamon.

"Sounds interesting. We should check it out." Daisuke said.

"Could be useful." Hikari agreed.

After dinner they all went to the class where the duel was being held.

"Wonder who's teaching us." Hikari said.

"As long as it's not…" Daisuke sentence finished with a groan as he saw that not only Urameshi was going to give the class, but so was Sato. "Why does God hate me?"

Urameshi waved his arm to silence the entire classroom. Once he had all their attention he asked "Can you all see me? Can you all hear me?"

Once they nodded, Urameshi continued.

"Good. In light of the recent dark events that have been occurring at our school, the Headmaster has allowed me to start this little Dueling Club with my assistant, Sato Savaro, so that you may learn to defend yourselves, as I myself have done on countless occasions. For full details, see my published works." Urameshi said with a smile. Daisuke and V-mon didn't know why he was smiling. If Sato were looking at them that way, they would be running as fast as they could in the opposite direction.

After Urameshi and Sato took out their wands and bowed to each other, they each went to one side of the table they were standing on. They turned and pointed their wands to each other.

"Now, on the count of 3. 1, 2, 3."

"Expelliarmus!" Sato said as a jet of red light came flying out the tip of his wand, hitting Urameshi squarely in the chest, causing him to fly backwards and hit the wall, sliding down to sprawl on the floor as his wand to fly from his hand.

"Do you think he's all right?" Miyako asked.

"Who cares?" Daisuke, V-mon, Takeru, and Patamon said simultaneously.

"Not bad, Sato-sensei, not bad. But I must say it was quite obvious you were going to do that. If I wanted to, I could have easily defended myself." Urameshi said as he stood up and took his wand.

Sato looked at Urameshi as if he were contemplating on whether making his slowly killing on making it quick and just getting over with it.

"Perhaps it would be more prudent to teach the students how to first defend themselves from unfriendly spells." Sato suggested.

"Yes, but I think that first the students should have a bit of experience for themselves. I'll need two volunteers. Motomiya, Takaishi." Urameshi said.

"Takaishi's wand causes devastation with even the simplest spells. We'd be sending Motomiya in a matchbox. May I suggest someone from my house, instead? Koaku, perhaps?" Sato said, before turned and pointing and Koaku for him to get onto the stage.

The whole class was now hooked onto what was going on. The rivalry between Daisuke and Koaku was no secret to anyone.

"Wands at the ready." Urameshi said, making both Daisuke and Koaku lift their wands.

"Scared, Motomiya?" Koaku asked.

"You wish." Daisuke replied.

"Bow." Daisuke and Koaku barely inclined their heads, never stopping to glare at each other.

"When I count to 3, cast your charms to disarm, only disarm your opponents. We don't want any accidents. 1…2…"

"Everte Statum!" Koaku spell hit Daisuke so hard it sent him rolling through the air until he crashed at the end of table.

Daisuke stood up, furious, and wasted no time aiming his wand at Koaku and shouted "Rictusempra!"

A jet of silver light hit Koaku in the stomach and he doubled up, laughing and wheezing. Daisuke had hit him with a Tickling Charm; Koaku could barely move. Daisuke chose not to bewitch Koaku any further, as it would be unsporting. This proved to be a mistake. Still laughing, Koaku was still able to rise up and choke "Tarantallegra!", and the next second, Daisuke's legs began jerking around uncontrollably in a form of dubstep.

"Finite Incantatem!" Sato launched a spell at Daisuke, making him regain control of his legs just as Koaku managed to stop laughing.

"Stop! I said disarm only!" Urameshi said.

But neither Daisuke nor Koaku paid attention to him.

"Serpensortia!"

Out of the end of Koaku's wand came a long black snake that fell onto the table. There were screams and the crowd backed away swiftly.

"Don't move, Motomiya. I'll get rid of it for me." Sato said, enjoying the sight of Daisuke standing face to face with an angry snake.

"Allow me!" Urameshi said, brandishing his wand at the snake and there was a loud bang; the snake, instead of vanishing, the snake flew 10 feet into the air and fell back with a loud smack. Enraged, the snake turned to Fucamitsu Jerai, fangs exposed, ready to stroke.

"Leave him alone!" Daisuke said. He didn't know what made him do it, but strangely the snake obeyed his order.

"Vipera Evanesca." Daisuke heard Sato mutter those words and the next second, a light hit the snake and it burned to ashes.

Daisuke looked at Jerai, smiling, expecting him to be relieved and thankful, but what he got instead was a look of fear and anger.

"What're you playing at? !" Jerai said, infuriated before storming out of the room, followed by Kotemon.

Daisuke looked around to see everyone, with the exception of V-mon, staring at him in fear and dread, all of the muttering ominously. Daisuke then felt someone grabbing his robes.

"Move! Come on!" Takeru muttered.

As Daisuke got down from the table, he was dragged out of the room by the blonde, followed by the rest of the group. They went all the way until they were one set of staircase away from the Fat Lady's portrait.

"You're a Parselmouth? Why didn't you tell us?" Ken asked.

"A what?" Daisuke asked.

"A Parselmouth! You can speak to snakes!" Takeru said.

"Well, I did tell that snake to back off, but that doesn't necessarily mean I speak to snakes." Daisuke said.

"Oh, so that's what you told the snake." Patamon said.

"You guys were there, you heard him!" V-mon replied.

"_**We**_ heard him speaking Parselmouth. Snake language." Wormmon said. "He could have been saying anything. No wonder Jerai panicked. It seemed like he were egging the snake. It was freaky."

Daisuke and V-mon gaped at them.

"I spoke a different language? How can I speak a different language without knowing?"

Hikari shrugged shrugged.

"But I was able to understand him." V-mon said.

"Wait, you understood everything he said?" Hawkmon asked, and V-mon nodded.

"Then that means you're also a Parselmouth." Patamon said.

"Okay, so we're Parselmouths. Big deal. I bet loads of people can do it." Daisuke said.

"No, they can't. It's not a very common gift." Ken replied.

"But why does it even matter?"

"It matters because talking to snakes is what Suruberu Sanabara is famous for. That's why the symbol of the Suruberu House is a snake." Miyako said.

Daisuke and V-mon once again gaped.

"Yeah. Now the whole school's going to think you're his great-great-great-great-great-grandson or something." Takeru said.

"But I'm not! …I can't be…" Daisuke replied.

"He lived more than 1000 years ago, Daisuke-san. For all we do now, you could be." Ken replied.

When they each went their separate ways and went to sleep, Daisuke and V-mon stayed away for hours. They weren't talking to each other. They knew what the other was thinking. There was no way Daisuke could be a descendant of Suruberu Sanabara. Could he? Wait. Jun!

V-mon sat up as an idea came to his mind. If Daisuke could speak Parseltongue, does that mean Jun could? He could ask her about her and Daisuke's magical ancestry. He turned to tell Daisuke but thought his partner was sleeping, so he lay back down and also went to sleep.

But Daisuke was still awake, wondering if he could really be the descendant of Suruberu.

"_No! I'm in Goono! The Sorting Hat put me here!_" Daisuke thought angrily, until a voice came in his mind. "_But the Sorting Hat wanted to put you in Suruberu…Remember?_"

* * *

I hope you all like the chapter. Review please. And no this isn't a x-over because it's more of a content in a different story rather than an actual x-over.


	11. Second Attack

I do not own anything.

* * *

The next day, most of the classes had been cancelled because of a blizzard.

V-mon had just woken up and was coming down the stairs. When he had woken up, Daisuke wasn't in bed. He was looking around to find his partner, but he wasn't anywhere. V-mon spotted Patamon, Tailmon, Takeru, and Hikari at a table playing wizard chess.

"Morning. Have you guys seen Daisuke?" V-mon asked.

"He was sitting down by the fire during the morning, doing nothing, so I told him to go and look for Jerai-san if it would make him feel better." Hikari said, as she started to come up with a new plan to even the game she was clearly losing.

V-mon looked around continued looking around, now looking for Jun, who he found reading a book.

"Hey, Jun. I need to ask you something." V-mon said.

"Let me guess. It's related to Suruberu Sarabara." Jun said, closing her book.

"Yeah. Are you and Daisuke really related to him? Do you know?"

"Honestly, V-mon, not that I know of. And I can't speak Parseltongue. Some of the people around school just think I didn't inherit it." Jun said. "How's Daisuke handling it?"

"He's really confused about all this." V-mon said. "But he's more worried about what everyone is thinking about him."

"I don't blame him. This is really strange. Since I wasn't the one who spoke to a snake in front of everyone, people aren't talking about me so much." Jun said.

"Okay. I'm gonna go look for him." V-mon said.

(Meanwhile)

Daisuke had gone to the library, believing that Jerai might have gone their first to finish some work. He found a group of Chuhorus seating together, studying. Thinking maybe Jerai might be with them, he started walking up to the group, when he heard them talking about him, and he hid behind a bookstand.

"So I told Jerai for him and Kotemon to hide inside the dormitory for a while. Wouldn't want him to run into Motomiya now, especially after Jerai told him he was a Muggle-born. Not something you'd really want to tell the Suruberu's heir." Hamiru Hotaru said, a blond boy from Chuhoru who had a Starmon for a partner, said.

"You really think it's Daisuke, don't you, Hotaru-san?" Hena asked.

"Of course it was him, Hena-chan! He's a Parseltongue. That's the sign of a Dark wizard. And all the people who were bothering Daisuke somehow."

"But Daisuke always seemed so nice, though. And he was the one who made Zoltel disappear." Hena said.

"No one knows how he survived the attack by You-Know-Who. He should've been blasted to smithereens. Only a really powerful Dark wizard could've survived that. **That's** probably why You-Know-Who wanted to kill him in the first place. Didn't want another Dark Lord competing with him." Hotaru said.

Daisuke finally couldn't take it anymore and let out a loud cough, before appearing from behind the bookstand. Hotaru and the others became pale.

"Good morning." Daisuke said, trying to be as polite as possible. Last thing he needed was people getting an even further bad impression of him. "I was wondering if you would know where I could find Jerai-san."

"What do you want with him?" Starmon asked.

"I want to tell him what really happened at the Dueling Club." Daisuke said.

"We were all there. We saw what happened." Hotaru said.

"Then you saw that after I spoke to it, the snake backed off." Daisuke said.

"All I saw was you speaking Parseltongue and chasing that snake at it." Hotaru said.

"I wasn't chasing the snake at him! It didn't even touch him!" Daisuke said.

"It was a near miss. And before you get any ideas, I'd like to inform you that you can trace my family back through 9 generations of warlocks and witches and you'll find my blood's as pure as anyone's…"

"I don't care what kind of blood you have!" Daisuke said. "Why would I want to attack Muggle-borns? !"

"Maybe because you're the heir of Suruberu?" Hotaru said.

"I am NOT THE HEIR OF SURUBERU! !" Daisuke said before leaving the library.

On his way back to the Goono common room, he bumped into Hengai.

"Hey, Hengai-san, what are you doing here?" Daisuke asked.

"Another rooster's been killed this term. Second one already. I think it might be foxes or something." Hengai said. "I was just getting permission form the Headmaster to apply a charm around the coop. You okay? You seem stressed."

"It's nothing." Daisuke said, before moving on.

As Daisuke was walking up with the stairs, he met up with V-mon, who had finally found his partner.

"Hey Daisuke, I was looking for you." V-mon said, having just come from the Great Hall.

"Yeah, what is it?" Daisuke asked, the exhaustion apparent in his voice.

"I just talked to Jun. She said that isn't aware of you guys being the descendants of Suruberu, but that she at least can't speak Parseltongue." V-mon said.

"Yeah, but I can. That's isn't really a good sign, V-mon." Daisuke said as they turned around the hall, and saw the last thing they needed to see.

There, lying on the floor in the middle of the hall, were Fucamitsu Jeria and Kotemon, rigid and cold, a look of shock frozen on their faces; and next to them was Nearly Headless Ogai, floating in the air, black and smoky, the same look of shock on his face.

Just then, Mojo arrived in the room, and before Daisuke and V-mon could even think about stopping, he started shouting about another attack.

"ATTACK! ATTACK! THERE'S BEEN ANOTHER ATTACK!"

"I'll kill you, Mojo." V-mon muttered under his breath.

The shouting eventually attracted the attention of Nakamura, Hotaru, White and BlackPawnChessmon, and Starmon.

"Caught in the act! I knew it was you!" Hotaru said.

"That's enough, Hamiru-san." BlackPawnChessmon said. "You too, Mojo."

"WhitePawnChessmon, BlackPawnChessmon, go back and stay with the class. Motomiya, V-mon, come with me."

Daisuke and V-mon, without questioning the their teacher, followed her through the halls until their arrived in front of a gargoyle statue.

"Lemon drop." Nakamura said simply, the gargoyle sprang to life and flew upwards, bringing with him a set of spiral staircases. "This is out of my hands, Motomiya, V-mon."

As Nakamura left, Daisuke and V-mon walked up the staircases until they found themselves in front of a door with a griffin etched on the front. Daisuke slowly opened he door, and he and V-mon found themselves in a large circular room filled with silver instruments. There were also several portraits of the previous headmasters and headmistress all over the wall; and dozens of bookstands, filled with more books than Daisuke and V-mon could count together. On top of one of the bookstands was an old and tattered hat…It was the Sorting Hat.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" The Sorting Hat asked, finally noticing the duo's presence.

"I was…just wondering whether you put me in the right house." Daisuke asked.

"I stand by what I said last year." The Sorting Hat said. "You would have done well in Suruberu."

"…You're wrong." Daisuke said.

Daisuke and V-mon turned back and then they finally noticed the golden, medium-sized dragon, just a bit smaller than Daisuke. It was golden, with some areas of its body being a combination of orange and red. And its wings, somehow, while not having feathers, resembled mostly that on a bird than a dragon.

"Daisuke-san, V-mon…" Damaro said as he and Hyokomon came in.

"Professors. We were just…observing your dragon." Daisuke said.

"I see you've met Subaru." Hyokomon said with a smile. "Subaru is a Scottish Golden Head, a rare specie, thought to have gone extinct many centuries ago. He is one of the last of his kind. Few wizards know of his existence. They're different from most dragons; they actually resemble more phoenixes, with their tears that can heal people and immense loyalty and faithfulness. Many actually believe they are somehow connected to phoenixes."

"So anyway boys, what can we help you with?" Damaro asked as Subaru went back into the special room built just for him.

Before anyone could continue, Hengai and Muchomon burst through the door.

"It wasn't Daisuke or V-mon!" Hengai said.

"We're ready to swear in front of the Ministry of Magic!" Muchomon said.

"Hengai, Muchomon…" Damaro said.

"You've got the wrong boy, or boys! I know Daisuke and V-mon, and they would never…"

"Hengai, Muchomon, we do not believe it was either Daisuke or V-mon." Damaro said.

"Of course you don't and…Oh…Right…Well then…We'll *ahem*, we'll just wait outside." Hengai said as he and Muchomon said.

"You do not believe it was us, Professor?" V-mon asked, relief passing through him.

"No. However, we must ask, V-mon, Daisuke, is there anything you wish to tell us? Anything at all?"

Daisuke and V-mon thought about when Koaku said "You'll be next, Mudbloods!". And what Takeru had said about hearing voices being a bad sign in the Wizarding World. Not to mention the Polyjuice Potion in the bathroom and Daisuke's possible connection to Suruberu Sanabara. They had to get some answers before they came to Damaro and Hyokomon for help.

"No…There isn't anything, sensei." Daisuke and V-mon said simultaneously.

"…Very well, then. Off you go." Damaro said.

And with that, Daisuke and V-mon left the room.

* * *

I hope you guys liked this chapter. I'm trying to finish it before I focus seriously on any other fic. Well, review, please.


	12. Polyjuice Potion

I do not own anything.

* * *

The attacks on Jerai, Kotemon, and Ogai turned the nervousness of the school in mass panic. What was it that could make Ogai, who was already dead, become like that? What terrible power was it that could do that to a ghost?

Hikari seemed to be one of the people most concerned about the attack. She looked extremely haunted and frightened.

There was almost a stampede towards the Butaibo Express when it arrived to take people home for the holidays.

Most of the Erabareshi Kodomo decided to stay in Butaibo for the holidays. Fortunately for the group, so did Koaku's gang.

On Christmas morning, Daisuke, Takeru, V-mon, and Patamon were woken up by Hikari, who burst into their dormitory, fully dressed, with both their presents.

"You can't come in here." Patamon said.

"Merry Christmas to you, too." Hikari replied sarcastically as Yushiba came flying into the dormitory.

"Hey, welcome back." Daisuke said as she landed beside him and nibbled his ear and V-mon's forehead affectionately. He had let her go for winter season, but he knew she would come back later.

After the whole group at given their presents to each other by the fire, Hikari called the Daisuke, Takeru, V-mon, Patamon, and Tailmon out into the hall.

"The potion is ready, we'll be able to use it tonight." Hikari said.

"Are you sure?" Takeru asked.

"Positive." Hikari replied.

"But I thought you said you would finish it next week." Daisuke said.

"Well, I finished it early!" Hikari snapped at them. But once she saw their startled expressions, she regained composure. "Sorry. I guess I'm just a bit stressed."

"It's okay. I know you're worried about these attacks. We'll find out how to stop it." Daisuke said, make Hikari turn to him and smile.

The rest of the morning was great for everyone, as they all exchanged gifts and spent the day relaxing and having fun.

(Later that night)

The Great Hall looked magnificent. It couldn't look more beautiful, with Christmas trees, mistletoes, carols, and candles lighting the room.

But, much to their dismay, Daisuke, V-mon, Takeru, and Patamon were forced out of the hall early.

"Listen, we still need a piece of the people you're going to change into." Hikari said as she pulled out some muffins. "I've filled these with Sleeping Draughts. We just need to make someone in Suruberu eat them."

"I have the perfect people in mind." Takeru said with a grin.

(A while later)

"Okay, here they come." Takeru said as he ran to the others and they hid beside a statue. Just as Takeru pulled out his broken wand, Daisuke stopped him.

"I better handle this." Daisuke said as he pulled out his wand. "Wingardium Leviosa."

The two muffins started floating in the air Nisaka, Goiru, Candmon, and Kunemon came out of the hall, several muffins in their arms, when they saw the floating muffins. As Nisaka and Goiru grabbed them and took a bite, they immediately fell asleep, and Candmon and Kunemon were knocked out by Patamon and V-mon, who struck from behind.

"How stupid can someone be?" Takeru said as he, Daisuke, and their partners dragged the four unconscious Suruberus out of the hall.

(A while later)

"I can't believe we're actually doing this." Daisuke said as he and the others put on some Suruberu robes.

"Do you want to catch Koaku, or not?" Tailmon asked.

"She's right you know." Patamon said.

"Okay, here." Hikari said as she filled three cups with the potion. "Now fill them with the samples from Goiru and Nisaka."

"Who are you going to copy?" Daisuke asked.

"Endo Mori. I managed to pull a string of hair from her robes without her noticing." Hikari answered.

They all put a bit of hair in the potion, making it turn into a light green color, making it look even more disgusting.

"Well…Here goes nothing."

And they all started gulping down the potion.

"I think I'm gonna be sick…" Takeru said as he ran to the toilet.

"Me too." Hikari added as she also ran.

"…Me three." Daisuke said as he also ran.

But soon, Daisuke felt something strange happening to his face. It was twitching uncontrollably, and then it felt distorted somehow.

He went back outside and looked at the mirror to see he looked exactly like Goiru.

"…Daisuke?"

Daisuke looked back to see Takeru looking just like Nisaka.

"Takeru? You look just like Nisaka." Daisuke said.

"And you like Goiru." Takeru replied.

"Excellent. Hikari-chan?" Daisuke asked.

"I'm not feeling too good. You guys go on ahead." Hikari said.

"You sure?"

"Positive."

The other just looked at one another and shrugged.

"You guys wait here. We'll be back soon enough." Daisuke said as he and Takeru left the bathroom to go to Suruberu Common Room.

They headed down the stairs, all the way down to the dungeons. Just when they thought they were lost, a certain familiar voice rang out.

"Hey, what are you doing here?"

Daisuke and Takeru turned to see Mantarou and Koemon walking down the hall, in their direction.

"What are you doing here?" Daisuke asked, when Takeru elbowed him in the ribs.

"I am a Prefect. Nothing is about to attack me." Mantarou. "You, on the other hand, have no business wandering around."

"Nisaka, Goiru, have you been pigging out in the Great Hall all this time?" Daisuke and V-mon looked back to see Koaku. "An what are you doing here, Inoue?"

"Watch your tone, Koaku. He's a school Prefect." Koemon said.

Koaku just sneered at the remark, before telling Nisaka and Goiru to come with him.

"Password?" The portrait asked.

"Pure-blood." Koaku replied, making the portrait open, revealing a hidden passage.

They walked in the Suruberu Common Room. Dracomon was sleeping on the couch. There was a Daily Prophet newspaper on the table also, and the main page caught Daisuke and Takeru's attention.

**INQUIRY AT THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC**

Ishida Hiroaku, Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office, was today fined 50 Galleons for bewitching a Muggle car.

Koaku Yozei, a governor of Butaibo School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where the enchanted car crashed earlier this year, called today for Ishida-san's resignation.

"Ishida has brought the Ministry into disrepute." Koaku-san told our reporter. "He is clearly unfit to draw up our laws and his ridiculous Muggle Protection Act should be scrapped immediately.

Ishida was unavailable for comment, though his wife told the reporters they wished to be left alone.

"Funny, huh?" Koaku said.

Daisuke and Takeru tried to force a smile. Though Takeru was failing miserably.

"Those Ishida. Never would think they were pure-bloods."

Takeru squeezed his hand shut so hard they turned white.

"What's up with you, Nisaka?" Koaku asked.

"Stomachache." Takeru said.

"Then go to the Hospital Wing and give those Mudbloods a kick for me. I can't believe the Daily Prophet hasn't made any reports on these attacks yet. Suppose Damaro and Hyokomon are trying to hush it all up. They'll be fired soon if it keeps up. Dad always said Damaro and Hyokomon were the worst thing to happen to Butaibo. Decent headmasters would never let slime like Curoma and his partner Monodramon in the school."

Daisuke had to bite his lip hard to not retort Koaku, and use every fiber of his being to not attack Koaku when he started making goofy imitations of Cona with his camera.

"And the Saint Motomiya, friend of the Mudbloods. And people actually think he's Suruberu's heir!"

There it was. Koaku was about to confess.

"I wish I knew who it was." Koaku said. "I could help them."

It took a moment for the two of them to process what Koaku said. He wasn't the heir of Suruberu?

"Surely you must have some idea who it is." Daisuke said, recomposing himself quickly.

"I already told you, Goiru, I don't know who it is. And my father won't tell me anything about the last time the Chamber opened. Of course, it was 50 years ago, so it was before his time, but he knows all about it, and he says it was all kept quiet and it'll look suspicious if I know too much. Father told me to let the heir of Suruberu do the rest. We already had too much trouble with the Ministry. Luckily they didn't find much. Father has some very valuable Dark Arts stuff. We have our own secret chamber beneath the drawing floor. But I know one thing. The last time the Chamber of Secrets was opened, a Mudblood died. As for me…I hope it's Inoue." Koaku said.

Daisuke stood up. If anyone was going to die, it was going to be Koaku. He was going to beat the living hell out of him. Or he would have, hadn't Takeru held him.

"What's wrong with you two?" Koaku asked.

"Too many muffins." Takeru said as he pulled Daisuke to a corner. "Try to control yourself."

"Blond hair." Daisuke said, seeing Takeru's hair turn back to normal.

"Scar." Takeru replied, meaning that Daisuke's scar was probably beginning to show. He also felt his hair starting to get longer. "We gotta go! Stomach medicine."

Daisuke and Takeru bolted from the Suruberu Common Room and back to the bathroom.

"Well, at least it wasn't a complete waist of time. I already know how to make it up to my Dad. I'll write him about the hidden chamber in the Koaku manor." Takeru said.

"But if Koaku isn't responsible for the attacks, who is?" Daisuke asked.

"We've run into a dead-end." Takeru said.

"Hey guys. Bad news, it isn't Koaku." Daisuke said as he walked into the bathroom.

"WHAT? !" V-mon, Patamon, and Tailmon said, astonished.

"I know, I know. But it isn't him." Daisuke said. "Hey, Hikari-chan, you okay? Hikari-chan?"

"Go away!" Hikari said.

"Surely the potion wore off by now, Hikari-chan." Takeru said.

Just then, Moaning Mamoru appeared from inside cubicle.

"Wait till you see her! It's dreadful!" Mamoru said happily. Everyone actually thought it was the first time they had seen her happy.

Slowly, Daisuke opened the door of the cubicle. As Hikari slowly turned, the moonlight shined on her face to reveal she…was a cat?

"The hair string on Mori was cat hair. Polyjuice Potion isn't made for animals. Look at my face." Hikari said.

"Look at your tail." Takeru said with a grin.

It took a lot of time and convincing to make Hikari go to the Hospital Wing. Madam Nopshu never asked too many questions.

* * *

I hope you all liked this chapter. And as always, please review.


	13. The Very Secret Diary

I don't own anything.

* * *

"So, do you know how long Hikari will be in the Hospital Wing?" Patamon asked he, Takeru, V-mon, and Daisuke climbed the staircase.

"Madam Nopshu said she should be staying there for a few days. You know, she reverts back to normal." V-mon said.

Just then, the four of them saw Fuchi come out of the girls bathroom, enraged, screaming something about something being the last straw and him going to report to Damaro and Hyokomon.

Daisuke and V-mon looked at each other, before heading towards the bathroom, followed by their best friends, and saw that the bathroom had been flooded. They slowly looked around, checking out the bathroom, wondering what might have caused it, when they heard Moaning Mamoru cries echoing through the bathroom.

"Come to throw something at me, too?" Mamoru asked when she saw the others.

"…Why would I throw something at you?" Daisuke asked.

"I don't know. Here I am, minding my own business, when someone thinks it's funny to throw something at me."

"But…if you're a ghost it shouldn't hurt you, right? I mean, wouldn't it would go straight through you?" V-mon asked.

Moaning Mamoru flew straight up to V-mon's face.

"Sure! Let's all throw things at Mamoru because she can't feel it! 10 points who gets it through the STOMACH!" Mamoru said as she passed her arm through V-mon's stomach, before passing it through V-mon's head. "50 points who gets it through the HEAD!"

"…Who threw it?" Patamon asked.

"I don't know. I didn't see it." Mamoru said. "I was just in the U-bend, minding my own business, when somebody came and decided to throw a book at me. It should be somewhere around here, I washed it out."

And as Mamoru flew away, moaning and crying, the others started looking around and Daisuke eventually saw a small, soaked book on the floor. It was a dark green, and was completely soaked because of the toiled water.

"Be careful. It could be dangerous." Takeru said.

"What, this? It's a book, Takeru." Daisuke said.

"You'd be surprised." Takeru replied. "You have no idea of the strange things that can happen in this world. Some books burn your eyes out. Others can make you keep repeating them for the rest of your lives."

"Okay, I get it." Daisuke said as he looked at the book. He knew at once it was a diary. "Nazo L. T. Says he used to study here 50 years ago. This diary was bought in Tokyo."

"Nazo L. T.? I saw that name on one of the trophies for special services to the school." Takeru said.

"Strange…"

"What is it?" Patamon asked.

"It's blank. Not a single word was written inside." Daisuke said.

That's when Takeru noticed V-mon, still standing in the same spot, in the same position as before.

"Dude, you okay?" Takeru asked.

"…I feel extremely violated."

(A few days later)

Despite the diary appearing the diary appearing to be blank and useless, Daisuke couldn't get rid of it. There was something about the name Nazo. L. T., something about the diary that kept him attached to it as if though he out to now more about it.

Hikari had been released from the Hospital Wing the previous day, but ever since, she seemed distant and depressed. She hadn't even spoken a word to them ever since she got out. Even at the Hospital Wing she barely spoke.

"The news that it wasn't Koaku must really have bummed her out." Daisuke said.

"Well, what's important is that we remember, that whoever it is, he or her is still out there." Takeru said. "And while we don't know if they'll attack again, we shouldn't be willing to take that chance."

"But with Hikari-chan the way she is…I doubt she'd be focused. Maybe not even willing." Daisuke said.

"We'll just have to find another person." Takeru said.

"But who?" V-mon asked.

"Let's see, who's the only girl who is as smart, potentially smarter, than Hikari?" Patamon said.

"…Miyako?" V-mon said.

"Yes." Patamon said.

"Yeah, she was there when the first attack occurred." Daisuke said as he ate his breakfast. "Maybe she noticed something we didn't. I'll go ask for her help later."

Just then Urameshi stood up and gave a speech about they should all enjoy Valentine's Day, just as dwarfs with golden wings and harps flew in.

"These are my card-carrying cupids. They will be flying around school today delivering your valentines." Urameshi said.

"Oh yeah, that's right. Today is valentines. I completely forgot." Daisuke said.

"Why, had someone special in mind?" Takeru said with a suggestive grin.

"No. The problem is if someone had a special me in mind." Daisuke replied.

(Later that day)

During the whole day, the cupids flew around the school, giving valentine cards and singing love songs.

As Daisuke headed to his next class, Charms, with the rest of the Goonos, he saw a cupid flying around until he got notice of him.

"You, Motomiya Daisuke!" The cupid said as he started flying in Daisuke's direction.

"No, not here." Daisuke thought.

Daisuke turned around quickly to take a different path to Charms class.

"Daisuke, that cupid is calling for you." V-mon said.

"Shut up and turn around." Daisuke said as he made his partner turn around.

"Hold right there!" The cupid said as he grabbed Daisuke's bag. People then started stopping to check on what was going on.

"Not here!" Daisuke said.

"Stay still!" The dwarf said.

The bag ended up opening and the material from Daisuke's bag fell onto the floor, as did Daisuke.

"What is all this?" The familiar voice of Koaku Ryu echoed through the crowd.

"What's all the commotion?" Mantarou asked.

Just as this happened, the dwarf pulled out his harp and started singing.

"_His eyes are brown a hot chocolate cup,_

_His hair is as colorful as the burning umber,_

_I wish he was mine, he is truly divine,_

_The hero who conquered the Dark Lord_"

It was official, Daisuke hated his life. As he stood up amongst all the laughing, Mantarou was doing him a favor by dispersing the crowds and helping him pick up his books.

"You okay?" Mantarou asked.

"Yeah." Daisuke said as he picked up his stuff. But where was…

"What is this?"

Daisuke turned to see the diary in Koaku's hands.

"This a diary? I wonder what sort of stuff Motomiya wrote in here guys." Koaku said to his friends, who all laughed and got closer as Koaku was about to open the book.

"Expelliarmus!" Daisuke said as he pulled out his wand and aimed at Koaku's hand. He felt strangely at ease with this spell, like it was something meant for him. That fit him.

The diary flew out of Koaku's hands and into Daisuke's as Koaku's face turned into a snarl.

"Daisuke-san, no magic in the halls. I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to take off some points of Goono." Mantarou said.

"Worth it." Was Daisuke's only reply.

As Hikari passed as furious Koaku, Koaku turned and yelled spitefully at her "I don't think Motomiya liked your valentine much!"

Hikari lowered her head and buried her face in her hands as she walked into class. The anger Daisuke felt made him push Koaku.

"Leave her alone." Daisuke said.

"Why should I? What're you going to do?" Koaku asked.

"How does another nice sinus-shattering nap like the one from Halloween 2 years ago sound to you?" Daisuke said as he grabbed Koaku by the collar and closed his hand into a fist until Mantarou broke them

"Enough, you two, you each go to your respective classes." Mantarou said.

And as much as Daisuke wanted to beat up Koaku, he unfortunately had to do as he was told.

(Later that night)

Daisuke sat at the Goono Common Room that night, as everybody else went to sleep. The diary was on the table right in front of him. He flipped it from page to page, seeing nothing but blank paper.

"Argh! Why can't I stop thinking about a stupid empty diary? !" Daisuke said in frustration.

He grabbed a pen and started to write something, anything to stop bothering him. And the next thing he knew, the writing was gone. Daisuke then wrote "My name is Motomiya Daisuke."

The words soon vanished and were replaced by another set of words.

"_Hello, Motomiya Daisuke. My name is Nazo Limaililung Toreda. How did you come by my diary?_"

Daisuke stared at the diary in disbelief, before writing back.

"I found it in the bathroom. Someone tried to flush it down the toilet."

"_Luckily I recorded my memories in more lasting ways than ink. But I always knew there would be those who would not want this diary read._"

"What do you mean?" Daisuke wrote.

"_I mean that this diary holds memories of terrible things. Things that were covered up at the Butaibo School of Witchcraft and Wizardry._"

"That's where I am now." Daisuke wrote. "Do you know anything about the Chamber of Secrets?"

"_Of course I know about the Chamber of Secrets. In my day, they told us it was a legend, that it didn't exist. But this was a lie. In my 5th year, the Chamber was opened and the monster attacked several students, until it finally killed on. I caught the person who opened it and he was expelled. But the Headmaster, Surunyu-sensei, forbade me from telling the truth, ashamed that such a thing happened at Butaibo. I was given a trophy and warned to keep my mouth shut. But I knew it could happen again. The monster lived on, and the one who released it was not imprisoned._"

"Can you tell me who it was?" Daisuke asked.

"_No._"

Daisuke just looked in disappointment at the reply, before another sentence appeared.

"_But I can show you._"

The pages within the diary flipped and stopped at a certain page as the words "13th June" appeared on the upper right, before the pages started glowing.

Next thing Daisuke knew, he was within the Headmaster's office. And on the Headmaster's chair was an old teacher Daisuke had never seen before.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bother you. I'll be leaving now." Daisuke said.

But the man didn't even raise his head.

"I said, I'll be leaving now!" Daisuke said, a little louder this time. "Hey, can you hear me?"

Daisuke then heard the door opened. Daisuke turned around to see a boy, about 16 years old, hair the exact same as his, and even some similar features, walk into the room.

"Hello, Nazo." The man said as he looked at the boy.

"Surunyu-sensei, you wanted to see me?" Toreda asked.

"Yes, my boy. I have been reading the letter you sent me, requesting to spend the holidays here, in the school, and unfortunately I will have to deny it. Wouldn't you want to go home after the holidays?" Surunyu asked.

"No." Toreda said. "I'd much rather stay here than go back to that…that…"

"You live in a Muggle orphanage, correct?" Surunyu asked.

"Yes." Toreda said, reddening as he looked down.

"Are you a Muggle-born?"

"Half-blood, sir. Muggle father and witch mother." Toreda said.

"And both your parents…"

"My died right after giving birth to me. They told me at the orphanage she just lived long enough to name me. Toreda after my father, Limaililung is, well, it's my mother's family name."

"Well, Toreda-san, in light of the circumstances, I don't think it would be wise to let you stay. Especially with the recent tragedy. Even as we speak, the Ministry of Magic is speaking about closing the school."

"But if the attacks were to stop, sir…If the culprit were caught…" Toreda said.

"…Nazo…is there something you wish to tell me?" Surunyu asked, his eyes narrowing.

"…No…There isn't anything, sensei." Toreda said.

But Daisuke was sure it was the same "no" he and V-mon had given Damaro and Hyokomon.

"Very well, then. Good evening." Surunyu said as he bade Toreda good night.

Toreda, as he left the room and into the halls of Butaibo, started walking at an extremely fast pace, when he saw a group of men carry a gurney, a white sheet covering it. But Daisuke and Toreda still saw it. The limp hand on the side of the gurney.

"Toreda-san?" A familiar voice said.

Daisuke and Toreda turned to see a 50-year younger Damaro, his hair a light auburn instead of white.

"Damaro-sensei, I was just coming back from the Headmaster. I needed to speak with him." Toreda said.

"Very well, then. Go to bed now. The corridors are not safe these days." Damaro said.

"Yes, sir." Toreda said.

As soon as Damaro was out of sight, Toreda started walking quickly again, down into the dungeons. And as he stopped before a door, he pulled out his wand, and then barged into the room.

Along with him in the room was a box, and a familiar figure.

"Evening, Rushima." Toreda said.

"What're you doing here, Toreda?" Hengai asked.

"I don't think you meant it to kill anyone, Hengai, but…"

"You can't! You don't understand!" Hengai said. "It wasn't him. It never killed no one."

"The dead girl's parents will be here tomorrow. The least Butaibo can do is make sure the think that killed her is slaughtered!" Toreda said, before aiming at the box and firing a spell at it.

Something vast, low-slung, and hairy then started crawled out of the box and through the floors.

"Arania Exumai!" Toreda said, but missed the creature. "Arania Exumai!"

Toreda missed the creature again, which then crawled out of the room, through the halls of Butaibo.

"Makavi! MAKAVI!" Hengai shouted, ready to run after him, before he was stopped when Toreda pointed his wand at him.

"I can't let you go, Rushima. They'll have your wand for this. I'm sorry." Toreda said.

And that's when Daisuke felt himself being pulled from the memory, despite how hard he was trying to run towards his friend.

"Hengai! HENGAI! **HENGAI!**" Daisuke said as he was ejected from the memory, and woke up on the chair, the diary still in front of him.

* * *

I hope you liked the chapter. I should be finishing this story soon. And please, review.


	14. Makavi

I do not own anything.

* * *

Everyone knew Hengai had an unfortunate liking Hengai had an unfortunate liking for big, monstrous creatures. But they were also sure that Hengai would never have meant it to kill anyone. He would never let anything harm a student on purpose.

And yet, Daisuke found himself repeating what he had seen to Takeru, Miyako, V-mon, Patamon, and Hawkmon.

"I can't be Hengai-san. Just can't. Nazo might be the wrong person to ask." Miyako said.

"We don't even know this Nazo Limai-whatever Toreda. Sounds like a snitch to me." Takeru said.

"I'm with you guys. But still, whatever that creature was that was in the box, it certainly wasn't safe."

"You said is middle name was Limaililung, right?" Miyako asked.

"Yeah, why?" Daisuke asked.

"Nothing. It's just that it seems Chinese, and they are known for powerful magic." Miyako said.

"Do you guys think it might have been this Toreda dude?" Takeru asked.

"Listen, Takeru, I know we all don't like him, but blaming him just because of that seems highly immature." V-mon said.

"Shut up." Takeru replied.

"You think we should go ask Hengai?" Hawkmon asked.

"Yeah, sure, that'd be a cheerful visit. Hey, Hengai-san, been up to anything crazy and dangerous lately like, I don't know, setting off beasts to attack students?" Patamon said in a sarcastic tone.

In the end, they decided it would be best not to ask Hengai anything unless there was another attack. As soon as they decided that, Ken and Wormmon came running towards them.

"Guys, you better come to the Dormitory, now." Wormmon said.

Daisuke, Takeru, Ken, V-mon, Patamon, and Wormmon said bye to Miyako and Hawkmon before heading to the Goono Dormitory to see it was a mess. Papers, lamps, sheets, everything had been destroyed or tossed around.

"Whoever did this must have been of Goono. No one else knows the password. Unless it wasn't a student." Ken said.

"Well, whoever did it, it looks like they were looking for something." Takeru said.

"And they found it." Daisuke replied, turning to them. "Nazo Toreda's diary is gone."

(A few days later)

For the next few days, Daisuke and V-mon couldn't stop thinking about the diary. Why would someone want the diary? How did they even know about it? What if they found out about what it contained. Miyako and Hawkmon urged them to report the robbery, but the last thing Daisuke and V-mon wanted was to tell the teachers about what was inside. How many people knew why Hengai had been expelled? They didn't want to be the ones to bring that all back.

And thus, Daisuke and V-mon found themselves with the rest of the Quidditch team, eating breakfast.

"All right, everyone, eat up. We need to be in perfect conditions for the match." Yamato told his team.

Yamato then turned to face Daisuke and V-mon and asked them "Hey, you two okay? You seem quite out of it."

"We're fine, Yamato." V-mon answered.

"…Okay, if you say so." Gabumon said.

As Daisuke and V-mon left the Great Hall with Takeru, Patamon, Miyako, and Hawkmon, they heard it again.

"Kill this time…let me rip…tear…"

"The voice! There it is again!" Daisuke said.

"Yeah, I heard it, too! Didn't you guys?" V-mon asked.

Takeru, Patamon, and Hawkmon shook their heads while something seemed to click in Miyako.

"Of course! That's it!" Miyako said, clapping her hand on her forehead. "A voice only Daisuke and V-mon can hear!"

"What is it, Miyako-san?" Takeru asked.

"I think I've just understood something! I'll explain it to you later, I've got to go to the library!" Miyako said as she and Hawkmon went to the library.

(A while later)

As the Goono Quidditch team headed over to the stadium for the match, Daisuke couldn't stop thinking about what Miyako might have discovered. Maybe she'd finally get some answers that would prove his innocence.

But right now, Daisuke needed to focus on the match against Chuhoru.

Yamato decided to give on last speech before they flew off into the stadium.

"All right, listen up. We lay our game. Chuhoru doesn't stand a chance. We're stronger, faster, and smarter." Yamato said as they mounted their brooms.

"Not to mention they're dead scared that Daisuke might petrify them if they fly anywhere near him." Jun said.

"That, too." Yamato added.

But just as the Goono and Chuhoru teams flew out into the stadium, Nakamura's voice called out through the megaphone. "The match has been cancelled."

"What? !" Yamato said as he flew up to where Nakamura was. "But sensei, you can't cancel the match. We've got to play the cup."

"Quiet, Ishida." Nakamura said, before going back to the megaphone. "All students go back to the House Common Room where they will be further informer by their Heads of House. As quickly as you can, please!"

After the teams went back and got dressed back into their normal uniforms, they were leaving with the rest of the students when Daisuke, Takeru, V-mon, and Patamon were approached by Nakamura and White and BlackPawnChessmon, who were with Ken, Mantarou, Chizuru, Momoe, Wormmon, Koemon, Falcomon, and Kamemon.

"V-mon, Patamon, Motomiya, Takaishi, you better come with us." BlackPawnChessmon said.

Daisuke and V-mon looked at Jun and Lunamon, who nodded.

"Go, we'll meet up with you at the Common Room." Lunamon said.

"Okay, we'll meet you there." V-mon said.

The small group followed their teachers to the Hospital Wing, which was never a good sign.

"This might come as a bit of a shock." Nakamura warned, before opening the door.

"Miyako, Hawkmon!" Mantarou and Koemon said, rushing to their sister and brother's, along with the rest of his siblings.

Miyako and Hawkmon laid in bed, her eyes wide open, along with another girl from Hikomeina.

"They were found near the library. Hawkmon was carrying this with him. Does it mean anything to you?" WhitePawnChessmon asked as he showed them a small, circular glass.

"No." Wormmon said as they all shook their heads.

"Very well." WhitePawnChessmon said. "You all better head back to your Common Rooms. Some announcements will be made."

(A while later)

"All students will return to their House Common Rooms by 6'o clock in the evening. No student is to leave the dormitories after that time. You will be escorted to each lesson by a teacher. No student is to use the bathroom unaccompanied by a teacher. Further Quidditch training and matches have been postponed. There will be no more evening activities."

All of Goono was inside the Common Room, listening intently as Nakamura finished her speech and rolled up the parchment that she just read from.

"I need hardly to add that I have rarely been so distressed. It is likely the school will be closed unless the culprit behind these attacks is caught. I would urge anyone who think they know something about them to come forward." Nakamura said before leaving.

As soon as she and her partners disappeared, the Goonos began talking.

"That's already two Goonos down, two Chuhoru's, and two Hikomeina, not to mention a Goono ghost! Haven't the teachers noticed the Suruberus are all safe? This stuff is obviously coming from Suruberu! The Heir of Suruberu, the monster of Suruberu! Why don't they just chuck all the Suruberus out? !" Yoshi said, earning him nods and applauses.

Daisuke and V-mon sat in front of the table, their faces in the hands, not being able to get that image of Miyako and Hawkmon out of their heads.

"You okay?"

Daisuke and V-mn turned to see Jun and Lunamon sitting next to them.

"Yeah why wouldn't I be?" Daisuke said sarcastically. "Two of my best friends have just been attacked, one of which who might've actually known something that could prove I'm innocent, and now the school might be closed, but hey, I'm superb."

"Miyako knew something?" Jun asked.

"Yeah. At least, that's what she said. She told me she would tell me after the match." Daisuke said.

"Daisuke, listen, Miyako and Hawkmon's attack itself proves your not guilty, you would never attack them." Jun said. "Things will work out, I promise…In the meantime…"

"Don't do anything stupid; you're my older sister and guardian, you have to take care of me, etc. Yeah, I know." Daisuke said.

"We're serious here, don't do anything stupid like go sneaking off in the middle of the night." Lunamon said.

"Okay, we get it." V-mon said.

As soon as Jun and Lunamon left, V-mon turned to Daisuke.

"So, what are we gonna do?"

"We're gonna sneak off to Hengai's hut in the middle of the night." Daisuke said.

(Later that night)

"Wake up, Takeru, Patamon." Daisuke said as he shook his the blonde and his partner.

"What is it?" Takeru said as he started waking up.

"We're going to Hengai's right now." Daisuke said.

"Wow, Daisuke, I sure would love to if it weren't for the fact that we can't leave the tower after 11." Takeru said.

"And that's why we have my dad's old Invisibility Cloak. Now come on." Daisuke said.

Takeru got dressed and he, Patamon, Daisuke, and V-mon left the tower, and walked down the castle to Hengai and Muchomon's hut.

They knocked on the door, waiting for someone to open it. And as Hengai did, they were introduced face-to-face with Hengai's crossbow.

"Who's there?" Hengai asked.

"Hengai, what are you doing with that?" V-mon asked as the kids took off the cloak.

"Oh, it's you. I was much, I, well, this is just for…never mind. Come in, I'll make you some tea." Hengai said. The others could see he was obviously tense. He was even shaking a bit.

"You guys hear about Miyako-san and Hawkmon?" Takeru asked.

"Oh, we heard it all right." Muchomon said. "But what are you boys doing here?"

"Hengai-san, we need to ask you a very important question." Daisuke said. "Do you know who opened the Chamber of Secrets 50 years ago?"

"…Alright, now what you boys have to understand…" Hengai was cut off by a knock on the door. He motioned for the others to hide, which they did, under the Invisibility Cloak, and then he opened the door to be greeted by Damaro, Hyokomon, and another man Daisuke and V-mon had never seen before, who looked to be in his early 60s.

"That's Dad's boss." Patamon said. "Amai Rokoshi, the Minister of Magic."

V-mon made a gesture for Patamon to be silent so that they could listen to the conversation.

"Damaro-sensei, Hyokomon!" Hengai said, pleased to see them, completely ignoring the man beside them.

"Evening, Hengai-san. Could we come in?" Damaro asked.

"Sure, come on in." Hengai said.

"This is a serious problem, Hengai, really serious." Amai said. "Three different attacks on Muggle-borns. This has gone far enough. The Ministry has got to act."

"But I never…Professors, you know, right?" Hengai said.

"I want to make it fully and absolutely clear that I am certain that Hengai is not responsible for these attacks." Hyokomon said, full of convidence.

"I know, Hyokomon." Amai said anxiously. "But Hengai's record is against him. I need to take him."

"Take him? Take him where? !" Muchomon asked.

"It's only for a short time. It's not a punishment, Hengai, it's only for precaution. If someone else is caught, you'll be released with a full apology." Amai said.

"Not Tartaros! That place is filled with Dementors." Hengai said.

"I'll make sure to keep the Dementors away from your cell, Hengai." Amai said. "And unfortunately, your partner will have to come with you. The Ministry doesn't want any other possible leads on the loose."

"Now one thing is to accuse me, but my partner never did anything, you can't accuse him!" Hengai said.

"I'm afraid I'll have to take the two of you." Amai said.

Just then, two other people walked in. It was Koaku Yozei and his partner, Tsukaimon.

"Already here, Amai? Good." Tsukaimon said as he and his partner walked into the room.

"What're you doing here? Get outta my house!" Hengai growled.

"Believe me, it gives me no pleasure to be in your…you call this a house?" Yozei said, looking around. "We went to the school and they told us the Headmasters would be here."

"Is there something you want with me?" Damaro asked.

"The other governors and I decided it's time you step aside." Yozei said, showing the parchment in his hands. "This is an Order of Suspension. You'll find all 12 signatures in it. We've come to the conclusion that you've just lost your touch. With all these attacks, there'll be no more Muggle-borns left at Butaibo. I can only imagine what a terrible loss that would be for the school."

"You can't send Damaro-sensei and Hyokomon away! Without them, the Muggle-borns won't stand a chance! Trust me, there'll be killings next!" Hengai roared.

"You really think?" Tsukaimon asked. He didn't seem really concerned.

"Calm down, Hengai-san." Damaro said. "If the governors wish for us to remove ourselves, then we will step aside. However, you will find that we shall only truly have left this school when none here are loyal to me. You will also find that help will always be given at Butaibo to those who ask for it."

Damaro suddenly looked at Daisuke, Takeru, V-mon, and Patamon's direction, almost as if he could see them. Everyone else looked around, not seeing anything.

"Admirable sentiments. Shall we?" Yozei said as he left, followed by Damaro and Hyokomon.

Damaro and Hyokomon gave one last look at the kids hidden underneath the cloak, giving a smile and a nod, before leaving.

"Come, Hengai, Muchomon." Amai said.

"If anyone wanted to find some stuff, all they'd have to do is follow the spiders." Hengai said. "Yup, that's it. Follow the spiders."

And then Hengai and Muchomon left with Amai.

As soon as they left, Daisuke and the others took of the cloak.

"Hengai-san's right. Without Damaro and Hyokomon, there'll be one attack per day." Takeru said.

"…Look." Daisuke said, seeing spiders crawling out of the window. "Come on."

Daisuke told Kiba to follow them. As soon as they left the hut, they looked at the spiders to see they were going to the Forbidden Forest.

"Why spiders? Why couldn't Hengai-san say something more cheerful like "Follow the butterflies that the field covered in daisies?"" Takeru asked.

"You rather he said follow the mummies, or perhaps follow the bats and vampires?" Daisuke asked.

"Those guys haunt my dreams, Daisuke. And not in the good way." Takeru replied.

"I know what you mean." Daisuke said as he and Takeru took out their wand. "Lumos."

A light appeared on the end of the wands, which would serve as their lanterns.

They followed the spiders for a long time, wandering what it would lead them to.

"Takeru, look, our car." Patamon said.

"What?" Takeru said, as he turned to see the car in the middle of the forest. "So that's where it's been all this time. The forest turned it wild."

The car was all full of scratches mud.

"Takeru, we can focus on your car later when we come back to pick it up. But for now, let's just…"

"Follow the spiders, I know." Takeru said as he and his partner continued their way.

A voice suddenly stopped them.

"Who's there?" The voice asked. "Hengai, Muchomon?"

"We're friends of Hengai and Muchomon." V-mon said.

And suddenly it appeared. A giant spider more than three times Daisuke and Takeru's size, from behind a massive tree.

"You, you're Makavi, aren't you?" Daisuke said.

"Hengai and Muchomon have never sent men into my lair before." Makavi said.

"They're in trouble. There have been attacks at the school. They think it's Hengai-san and Muchomon. They think Hengai-san opened the Chamber of Secrets." Daisuke said. "Like before."

"That's a lie! Hengai never opened the Chamber of Secrets!" Makavi said.

"Then you're not the monster?" V-mon asked.

"No. The monster was born within the castle. I came to Hengai from a distant land…in the pocket of a traveler." Makavi explained.

"But if you're not the monster that killed that girl 50 years ago, what did?" V-mon asked.

"We do not speak of it! It is an ancient creature we spiders fear above all else."

"But have you seen it?" Daisuke asked.

"I never saw any part of the castle but the box in which Hengai kept me." Makavi said. "The girl was discovered in a bathroom. When I was accused, Hengai brought me here."

"Daisuke…"

"What?"

Takeru pointed upwards, looking as if he were about to panic. Daisuke and V-mon looked up to see hundreds, maybe thousands of enormous spiders slowly and menacingly approaching them.

"…Well…thank you." Daisuke said. "We'll just…go now…"

"Go? I think not." Makavi said. "My sons and daughters do not harm Hengai and Muchomon on my command. But I cannot deny them fresh meat when it wanders so willingly into our nest. Good bye, friends of Hengai and Muchomon."

Daisuke, Takeru, V-mon, and Patamon looked at each other, smiling, but they knew what the other was thinking: "We're totally screwed…"

"Run!" Patamon said as they began to run and, in his case, fly away as fast as he could, followed by the spiders. "Into the car!"

"Arania Exumai!" Daisuke said as he pointed his wand and shot a ray of light at a spider, killing it.

V-mon head butted the spider that got near them, while Patamon used "Air Shot!"

They all quickly got into the car and Takeru turned it on, before they drove as fast as they could in the opposite direction of the spiders, until the car finally managed to fly off into the air.

The car took them to Hengai and Muchomon's hut, were they got out as soon as they landed.

""Follow the spider! Follow the spiders!" Hengai and Muchomon ever get out of Tartaros, I'll kill them!" Patamon said.

"What is Tartaros, by the way?" V-mon asked.

"The wizard prison. They say some people go insane there, that the place is like hell." Patamon answered. "But what was the point of sending us into the forest anyway?"

"Well, we did learn one thing. Hengai-san never opened the Chamber of Secrets. He was innocent." Daisuke said.

* * *

Well, I hope you all like it. Just two more chapters, and then I'm finished. But it'll be a while before I update. Maybe a week or two. But please, review.


	15. The Chamber of Secrets

I do not own anything.

* * *

The following day, after they had nearly been killed by a group of giant spiders, an announcement made everyone, for the first time in weeks, think about something that wasn't the Chamber of Secrets.

When Nakamura and her partners entered the class, they announced that next week, on June 1, there would be an exam.

"Exams? !" Samuso said. "How can you be thinking about exams in a time like this?"

"The whole point of keeping the school open is so you can keep having your education." Nakamura said, giving him a stern look. "Damaro-sensei and Hyokomon's orders were to keep the school running as normal as possible."

"And that, we hardly need to point out, means learning how much you have learned this year." WhitePawnChessmon said.

"Can you imagine me taking exams with this?" Takeru asked, showing his broken wand.

Daisuke knew what Takeru was feeling. With all that's been happening, he never thought of having exams. He was too busy trying to either prove his innocence and find the real culprit behind these attacks.

"We are screwed, Ken." Daisuke said.

"Yeah." Ken agreed. "…Miyako-san would have been excited by this news."

"Hey, relax. I'm sure those Mandrakes are coming along great. Miyako and Hawkmon should be back to normal soon." Daisuke said. "Right Hikari-chan? …Hikari-chan?"

"Hikari, Daisuke's talking to you." Tailmon said, nudging her partner a bit.

"Huh? What?" Hikari asked, looking at Daisuke. She seemed really, really pale.

"Daisuke said Hawkmon and Miyako should be back soon, right?" V-mon said.

"Oh, yeah." Hikari said.

"Hey, you okay?" Daisuke asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Hikari said.

"Aren't you excited about the exams?" Daisuke asked.

"Not really." Hikari said.

"Okay, something's wrong."

"Tell me about it. It's impossible to have the words "Hikari", "exams", and "excited" with a "not" in the middle." Takeru said.

(A few days later)

3 days before the exam, Nakamura stood happily before all the students in the Great Hall.

"I have good news." Nakamura said. "Damaro and Hyokomon are coming back."

The students, with the exception of Suruberu, yelled joyfully.

"You've caught the Heir of Suruberu!" A student said.

"Quidditch is back on!" Yamato said.

"The Mandrakes are almost ready. Once the petrified victims are back to normal, they might be able to tell us who, or what, attacked them, and we will most likely be able to catch the culprit and put an end to this otherwise dreadful year."

The students happily screamed in celebration.

"Daisuke-san…"

Daisuke turned his head to see Hotaru.

"I um…I wanted to apologize for the things I said. You know, some of my best friends had been attacked and I ended up wrongly blaming you for it. But once I heard the news about Miyako-san and Hawkmon, I knew it wasn't you. You'd never attack them. I'm sorry." Hotaru said.

"Hey, no hard feelings." Daisuke said, holding out his hand, which Hotaru was more than happy to shake.

"So, you think Kaoku could be behind all this?" Hotaru asked.

"Nah. Koaku is an ass and a prick, but he isn't capable of something like this." Daisuke said.

"Yeah, you're right. Well, I'll be getting back to my table now. See ya."

"You forgive people way to easily." Takeru said as Daisuke sat back down.

"What can I do? It's in my nature." Daisuke replied as he started eating.

As the students cheered, Hikari came down the Hall and sat next to Daisuke.

"I need to tell you something." Hikari said, looking extremely nervous and worried.

"What?" Daisuke asked, his mouth full of food, as he now was in a partying mood.

Hell, this was the best news he had received the whole year.

"It's something about the Chamber of Secrets." Hikari said.

"What is it?" Daisuke asked, now giving her his full, serious attention.

"I…"

"You…"

"Nothing. Forget it. I need to go." Hikari said.

"Wait, Hikari-chan…" Daisuke said, but Hikari had already left.

"She sure is acting weird lately, don't you think?" Takeru asked.

"Tailmon is getting concerned, too." Patamon said.

"You think we should talk to her, see what's going on?" V-mon asked.

"No." Daisuke said. "Something's definitely up with her, and although Hikari-chan won't admit it, she's scared. We need to find out more about the Chamber of Secrets."

"How?" Takeru asked.

And although Daisuke hated admitting it, he didn't have an answer.

(The next day)

Daisuke told V-mon to wait in the Common Room for him to come back, before heading straight to the Hospital Wing. It was afternoon, and the next class was Defense Against the Dark Arts, so there was no point in going.

Arriving, Daisuke sat by Miyako, caressing her hand.

"We have an exam in 3 days." Daisuke said softly. "Bet you're gonna freak when you find out you didn't study."

He missed her. He missed her and Hawkmon a lot. And so did everyone. And as Daisuke caressed Miyako's hand, he suddenly felt something odd. He took out whatever was inside her hand. It was a crumbled piece of paper. Opening it, Daisuke read everything, and realization struck him.

"Miyako, you're a genius! Don't worry, I'll get the guy behind this." Daisuke said as he bolted out of the Hospital Wing.

On his way back to the Common Room, Daisuke grabbed Takeru and Patamon and started taking them back with him.

"You're ditching class today." Daisuke said.

"Fine by me." Takeru said.

"Miyako is a genius. She found out the answer to the monster in the Chamber of Secrets." Daisuke said as they arrived back in the Common Room. "I found this paper in her hands. Listen."

"_Of the many fearsome beasts that roam this land, there is none more curious or more deadly than the Basilisk, known also as the King of the Serpents. This snake, which may reach gigantic size and live many hundreds of years, is born from a chicken's egg hatched beneath a toad. Its methods of killings are most wondrous, for aside from its deadly and venomous fangs, the Basilisk has a murderous stare, and all those who are fixed with the beam of its eye shall suffer instant death. Spiders flee before the Basilisk, for it's their mortal enemy, and the Basilisk flees only from the crowing of the rooster, which is fatal to it._"

"I remember Hengai telling me about someone killing all the roosters of the school." V-mon said.

"It all makes sense now." Daisuke said.

"There's still one part I don't get." Takeru said. "If it kills just by looking…how come no one's dead yet?"

Daisuke opened his mouth to answer. Problem was, he didn't have an answer.

"…Because no one did look at its eye." V-mon said, connecting the dots. "At least, not directly. Monodramon and Cona saw it through the camera. Kotemon and Jerai must have seen the Basilik through Onai. Onai got the full impact, but he's a ghost, he can't die again. And Hakmon and Miyako had that mirror."

"What about Ms. Dam? She didn't have a camera or a ghost." Takeru said.

"Put the floor was flooded that day. She must have seen the reflection of the Basilisk." Daisuke stated.

"Now what I don't get is how nobody saw this giant Basilik moving around through school." Patamon said.

"Miyako and Hawkmon answered that, too." Daisuke said, showing Patamon the word written on the paper. "_Pipes_"

"Pipes…He's using the plumbing." Patamon said, looking around.

"Remember what Makavi said? About that girl 50 years ago? She died in a bathroom? What if she never left?" Daisuke said.

Takeru and Patamon didn't understand for a moment, before their eyes widened in realization.

"No…You don't think…Moaning Mamoru?" Takeru said.

Daisuke nodded.

"I don't believe it!" Patamon said. "All this time, we've been wondering where the Chamber of Secrets was, and it was right beside us!"

"All students are to return to their House Dormitories at once." Nakamura's voice echoed through the halls, magically magnified. "All teachers to the 2nd floor corridor immediately."

The four looked at each other, before running in the direction of the voice. They hid around a corner as the teachers gathered in one of the corridors.

"As you can see, the Heir of Suruberu has left another message." Nakamura said. "Our worst fear has been realized. A student has been taken by the monster into the chamber itself…Students must be sent home. I'm afraid this is the end of Butaibo."

"So sorry; dozed off. What have I missed?" Urameshi said as he arrived.

"A girl has been snatched by the monster itself. Your moment has come at last, Urameshi." Impmon said.

"…I'm sorry?" Urameshi said, not knowing what he meant.

"Weren't you saying just last night that you knew all along where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets was?" Impmon said.

"Then it's settled. We'll leave you to deal with the monster, Honatari." BlackPawnChessmon said. "Your skills, after all, are legendary."

"…Very well. I'll be in my office getting, um…getting ready. " Urameshi said as he left.

"Who is it that the monster's taken, Nakamura?" Madam Nopshu asked.

"…Yagami Hikari." Nakamura said, causing Daisuke, Takeru, V-mon, and Patamon's eyes widen as the teachers left the hall, revealing the message left on the wall in blood.

"_Her skeleton will lie in the chamber forever_"

"Hikari-chan…" Takeru said.

"Come on!" Daisuke said. "Urameshi might be useless, but at least he'll try to enter the chamber. We need to tell him what we know!"

They entered his office, only to see Urameshi closing a suitcase.

"Sensei, we have…You going somewhere?" V-mon asked.

"Uh, well, yes, urgent call; have to go."

"What about our best friend?" Takeru asked.

"Most unfortunate. No one's more sorry than me." Urameshi said.

"You're the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher! You can't go now!" Takeru said.

"Well, I gotta say, when I took the job, there was nothing in the job description that said…"

"You're running away? After all that stuff you did in your books?" V-mon asked.

"Books can be misleading." Urameshi replied.

"You wrote them!" Daisuke said.

"My dear boy, do use your common sense! My books wouldn't have sold half as well if people didn't think I did all those things!" Urameshi said.

"…You're a fraud. You've been taking credit for what other wizards have done." Daisuke said, furious.

"Is there anything you can do?" Takeru asked.

"Yes, now that you mention it." Urameshi said as he turned around. "I'm rather gifted with memory charms. Otherwise all those wizards would have gone babbling, and I'd never sold another book." Urameshi said.

Urameshi then turned around for a second, giving Daisuke and Takeru the chance to pull out their wands without him noticing.

"In fact, um, I'm…going to have to do the same to you."

"Expelliarmus!" Daisuke said once Urameshi turned, launching the spell from his wand, knocking Urameshi's own out of his hand. "Shouldn't have let Sato teach us that one."

"What do you want me to do? I don't even know where the Chamber of Secrets is?" Urameshi said weakly.

"Well, you're in luck. We think we might know where it is. And what's inside. Let's go." V-mon said.

They left his office and went to Moaning Mamoru's bathroom, who was singing.

"Oh, it's you. What do you want this time?" Mamoru asked once she noticed Daisuke.

"To ask you how you died." Daisuke said.

Mamoru's whole aspect changed at once. She looked as if she had never been asked such a flattering question.

"Oh, it was dreadful." Mamoru said. "It happened right there, in that cubicle. I was crying because Oonishi Aya had made fun of my glasses. Then I heard somebody come in. They said something funny. Like some kind of made up language. But what really ticked me off was that it was a boy. So I unlocked the door to tell him to leave and then…I died."

"Just like that?" Takeru asked.

"Yes. I just remember seeing a pair of great, big, yellow eyes. My whole body seized and then I felt myself flowing away from my body." Mamoru said.

"Where exactly did you see it?" Daisuke asked.

"Somewhere over there?" Mamoru pointed towards the sink. "The tap never worked."

Daisuke walked over to the sink and saw, etched in it, a small image of a snake.

"Daisuke, say something in Parseltongue."

Daisuke focused really hard for a moment, looking at the sink, trying to imagine it was a snake, before saying "Open."

Only it came out differently. Very differently. Like nothing he'd ever heard before. And suddenly, the sink started moving, and in fact, sunk, revealing a large pipe, big enough for a man to slide down.

"…Well, job well done, boys. You don't seem to need me, so I'll just be going." Urameshi said as he turned around and tried to run away, only to be caught by Daisuke, Takeru, V-mon, and Patamon, and was then pushed back.

"You first." Daisuke said, aiming his wand.

"Now, boys what go will…"

"Better you then us." Takeru said.

Urameshi reluctantly turned around, before Takeru kicked him forward, making him fall down the pipe.

"…Quite nasty down here." Urameshi said once he landed.

"Daisuke…"

The group turned to see Mamoru smiling at Daisuke.

"If you die down there, you're welcome to share my toilet."

The three snickered while Daisuke looked slight uncomfortable.

"…Thanks, Mamoru…" Daisuke said.

"Let's go." Takeru said as he, Patamon, and V-mon jumped down the pipe, followed by Daisuke.

They slid down the pipe and landed on the dark, damp floor of a tunnel. As they stood up, they looked at the ground, seeing several skeletons of rats.

"God…" V-mon said as they stood up and looked at the ground, trying hard not to imagine how Hikari's body could look like if they found her.

"Lumos." Daisuke said, activating the Wand-Lighting Charm.

"Remember, any sign of movement, close your eyes." V-mon said.

The walked through the dark tunnels, the light of Daisuke's wand illuminating the way, when they found something terrifying.

A giant snake skin, of a vivid, poisonous green shade, at least 20 feet long.

Urameshi fainted on the spot.

"Really brave, this one." Patamon said.

Urameshi then suddenly and quickly stood up and grabbed Takeru's hand out of his hand.

"I'm afraid the adventure ends here, boys!" Urameshi said, pointing Takeru's wand at Daisuke. "But don't worry. I will take a bit of this skin. And the world will now our story. How I was too late to save the girl. How you all lost your minds at the sight of her mangled body. OBLIVIATE!"

A light appeared at the end of the wand, before running down the wand and exploding at Urameshi like a small bomb. Daisuke and V-mon were knocked back, along with Takeru and Patamon, and sent Urameshi flying, making him the wall, and a small amount of the tunnel caved in, separating Daisuke and V-mon from the others.

"Patamon, Takeru, you alright?" V-mon asked from the other side.

"Yeah, we're alright." Patamon answered.

"Ouch…Hello. Where am I? Who are you?…Who am I?" Urameshi said, looking around.

"…Urameshi's spell backfired! He forgot everything!" Takeru said.

"My God, what a strange place…Do you live here?" Urameshi asked, looking at a rock.

"…No." Takeru said, taking the rock and striking the back of Urameshi's head, knocking him out.

"Takeru, Patamon, wait here with Urameshi!" Daisuke said. "We'll go look for Hikari-chan!"

"We'll try to shift some of these rocks so you can get back through." Takeru said. "And Daisuke, V-mon…"

"We're going." Daisuke said as he and V-mon walked further down the tunnel, arriving at the tunnel, a wall in front of them, wit a stone serpent on it.

Daisuke focused, before saying "Open", the word once again coming out in Parseltongue.

The snake's emerald eyes seemed to glow, before it moved in a circular motion, making part of the wall detach itself into a circular door, and then open.

And slowly, Daisuke and V-mon walked inside, into the Chamber of Secrets.

* * *

I hoped you all liked the chapter. I should bee finishing this story soon. Only 2 more chapters to go. This story will be finished at max by Sunday. Review, please. And happy 4th of July.


	16. The Heir of Suruberu

I do not own anything

* * *

Daisuke and V-mon stood at the end of a dimly lit chamber. There was a straight pathway, with the sides being nothing but sewer water and towering stones of serpents. And at the other end of the chamber, the pathway became circular, with a pool of water at the center and the face of the man Daisuke and V-mon assumed to be Suruberu Sanabara on the wall. And lying on the ground was Hikari, out cold in front of the pool.

"Hikari-chan/Hikari!" Daisuke and V-mon said as they ran towards her.

"Hikari-can! Hikari-chan, don't be dead, please don't be dead!" Daisuke said, getting down his knees and dropping his wand. He was still in his Goono robes, but he didn't care.

Hikari was white as marble, and her eyes were closed.

"Hikari-chan! Please wake up!" Daisuke said desperately as he shook Hikari, her head lolling hopelessly from side to side.

"She won't wake." A soft voice said.

Daisuke and V-mon turned to see the last person Daisuke expected to see. He was blurry on the edges, as if Daisuke and V-mon were looking through a misty mirror. But there was no mistaking it, with that reddish-brown, spiky hair, identical to Daisuke's, similar features to his.

"Toreda? Nazo Toreda? !" Daisuke said as V-mon looked Daisuke in shock, and then at Toreda.

Toreda nodded, not taking his eyes off of Daisuke.

"What do you mean she won't wake up? She's…she's not…?" V-mon said desperately.

"She's alive, but only just." Toreda said.

Daisuke stared at the boy. He looked exactly the same as 50 years ago. Yet there was a misty glow around him.

"Are you a ghost?" Daisuke asked.

"A memory. Preserved in the diary for 50 years." Toreda said.

"…She's cold as ice." Daisuke said, touching Hikari's hand. "You've got to help me, Toreda-san. There's a basilisk here."

"It won't come until it's called upon." Toreda said as he took out Daisuke's wand, twirling it in his hand.

"Thanks." Daisuke said as he stood as he went to grab extended his hand to receive his hand.

Toreda smiled, still twirling the wand in his hand.

"Give me my wand, Toreda…" Daisuke said, starting to get slightly worried, making Toreda's smile widen. "The basilisk might come! I need it, Toreda!"

"You won't be needing it." Toreda said.

"What do you mean?" Daisuke asked.

"I've been waiting a long time for this. To speak with the great Motomiya Daisuke." Toreda said.

"Listen, Toreda, I don't think you get it. We're in the freaking **Chamber of Secrets**!" Daisuke said. "We'll talk later!"

"We'll talk now!" Toreda said.

Something was obviously wrong.

"…How did Hikari-chan get like this?" Daisuke asked.

"It's quite a long story. Well, I suppose the real reason Yagami Hikari's like this is because she opened her heart and spilled all her secrets to an invisible stranger." Toreda said.

"What do you mean?" V-mon asked.

"The diary. **My** diary." Toreda said. "Hikari-chan's been writing in my diary for months and months, telling me about her worries, about how her brother teases her, about how she didn't think famous, good, great Motomiya Daisuke would ever like her, and that she missed her chance."

"What are you talking about? Of course I like her; she's one of my best friends." Daisuke said.

"God, you're really dense." Toreda said.

Daisuke wondered what he meant, but he didn't ask. He was used to being called stupid. Hell, it was true.

And during the whole time, Toreda's eyes never left Daisuke. He stared at him with an almost hungry gaze in them.

"It's very boring, having to listen to the silly little troubles of a 13 year old girl. But I was patient. I wrote back. I was sympathetic, I was kind. Hikari simply loved. "No one's ever understood me like you, Toreda-kun…I'm so glad I've got this diary to confide in…It's like having a friend I can carry around in my pocket…"

Toreda gave a cold laugh that gave Daisuke and V-mon goose bumps. It was very familiar, but they couldn't place it.

"I've always had this ability to charm people. And so Yagami-san started pouring her soul into me, which is exactly what I wanted. I started feeding on her deepest fears, her darkest secrets. And I grew powerful, far more powerful that Hikari. Powerful enough to start being able to feed her a bit of my own secrets, to pour a bit of my soul into her."

"What're you saying?" Daisuke asked.

"Don't you get it? Yagami Hikari opened the Chamber of Secrets, she strangled those roosters, she wrote those daunting messages on the walls of Butaibo, she sent the Serpent of Suruberu on the Mudbloods and the Squib's cats." Toreda said.

"No…" Daisuke and V-mon said.

"Of course she didn't know what she was doing at first. It was very amusing. I wish you could have seen it. They became far more interesting. "Toreda-kun, I woke up in my bed with no memory of last night, covered in rooster feather. Fuki's cat was attacked last night on Halloween. Taichi keeps telling me I look pale and I'm not myself. I think he suspects me…There was another attack today and I have no idea where I was. I've got no idea what to do, Toreda-kun. I must be going crazy…Toreda-kun, I think I'm the one attacking everyone!" Toreda said.

Daisuke and V-mon felt his hands clench into his fist.

"Of course she soon started suspecting the diary and tried to dispose of it by throwing it down the toilet. And who should I meet but you. The very person I wished the most to talk to." Toreda said, the hunger in his eyes increasing as he looked at Daisuke's lightning scar.

"Why did you want to talk to me?" Daisuke asked.

"I knew I had to talk to you. Meet you if possible. So I showed the capture of that big oaf, Hengai…"

"Hengai-san's my friend!…And you framed him, didn't you?" Daisuke said in disgust.

"It was my word against Hengai's. There was I, Nazo Limaililung Toreda, poor but brilliant, parentless but so brave, school prefect, model student. And then there was Hengai, who got in trouble every week with some kind of new creature." Toreda said. "Only Damaro insisted he was innocent."

"Bet Damaro saw right through you." V-mon said.

"He suddenly kept an annoyingly close eye on me. And I knew it wouldn't be safe to open the chamber again. So I preserved my memory on a diary so I would be able to lead another o finish Suruberu Sananbara's noble work." Toreda said.

"But you haven't finished it this time." V-mon said.

"In a few hours, the Mandrake drafts will be ready and all the petrified students will return to normal." V-mon said.

"Haven't I told you? For months now, my real goal has been you. When Hikari saw you with my diary, she panicked, afraid I would tell you everything, or even quite possible hurt you. Imagine my surprise when she told me about the buzz at school because you speak Parseltongue. And I knew you'd come if one of your friends had been kidnapped. I have questions for you, Motomiya Daisuke." Toreda said.

"Like what?" Daisuke asked.

"How is it that a skinny boy with no extraordinary magical talent was able managed to defeat the greatest wizard of all time? How did you manage to escape while Lord Zoltel's powers were destroyed?" Toreda asked, an odd, familiar, red gleam in his eyes.

"Why do you care; Zoltel was after your time." Daisuke said.

"Zoltel is my past, present, and future…" Toreda said as he turned around and started writing his name in the air with Daisuke's wand.

NAZO LIMAILILUNG TOREDA

Then, with a single swipe, the letters stated rearranging themselves and some started disappearing.

I AM LORD ZOLTEL

"You…" Daisuke said as he and V-mon looked at Toreda in horror, knowing this was the man who would grow up to murder their parents. "You're the Heir of Suruberu…You're Zoltel."

"You didn't really think I would keep my filthy Muggle father's name? Who abandoned his wife before I was even born just because he found she was a witch? I, in whose veins course the great blood of Suruberu Sananbara? No. I made myself a new name; a name wizards all over the world would one day fear when I became the greatest sorcerer in the world." Toreda said.

"You're not! Damaro Abura is the greatest sorcerer in the world!" Daisuke and V-mon said, their voice full of hatred.

"Damaro and Hyokomon were driven away by the mere memory of me!" Toreda replied.

"They're not gone. Not while there are those in Butaibo who remain loyal to him." Daisuke and V-mon said.

There was suddenly a roar of a dragon. Everyone turned to see a golden dragon flying into the Chamber of Secrets, carrying something in its feet.

"…Subaru?" Daisuke said, looking at the dragon.

"Isn't that the school Sorting Hat?" Toreda said.

Subaru dropped the hat in front of Daisuke, before lying around the chamber.

"So this is what Damaro and Hyokomon sent their greatest defenders. A tiny dragon and an old hat." Toreda said. "Twice, in your past, in my future, we have met. Twice, I have failed to kill you? How did you survive? Tell me everything. The longer you talk, the longer you live."

"Nobody knows why you lost your powers when you attacked me. I don't even know myself. But I know why you couldn't kill me. Because my mother died to save me and V-mon. My common Muggle-born mother. She stopped you from killing us. I've seen you. The real you, last year. You're a wreck. You're barely alive. That's where all you strength got you. You're pathetic." Daisuke said.

"So. Your mother died to save you. Yes, that's a powerful counter-charm. I can see now…There's nothing special about you after all. I wondered, you see. Because there's a strange likeness between us. Even you must have noticed. We're both half-bloods, both orphans, both raised by Muggles. Probably the only two Parselmouths to come to Butaibo ever since the great Suruberu himself. We even _**look**_ somewhat alike…But after all it was merely lucky chance that saved you from me. That's all I needed to know." Toreda said, before turning around a speaking in Parseltongue, which Daisuke and V-mon understood. "Speak to me, Suruberu, greatest of the Butaibo Four."

The face of Suruberu on the wall at the end of the chamber slowly opened, revealing the darkness within. But Daisuke and V-mon knew there was something in there.

"Let's match the power of Lord Zoltel, Heir of Suruberu Sananbara, against the famous Motomiya Daisuke and V-mon, the successors of Goono Godai, with the best weapons Damaro and Hyokomon can give them." Toreda said before talking in Parseltongue. "KILL THEM!"

Daisuke immediately placed his goggles and he and V-mon started running away as they felt the basilik slithering after them.

They ran until Daisuke tripped and fell to the floor.

"Daisuke!" V-mon said as he knelt beside his partner.

Daisuke and V-mon then saw before them, on the floor, the shadow of the giant snake, followed by the roar of a dragon, and Daisuke saw Subaru's shadow fly straight the basilisk. Daisuke and V-mon heard the cries of the basilisk. Blood splattered on the floor, beside him.

Daisuke slowly turned to see what was going on, ready to close his eyes and make a run for it again if he got to close to seeing the basilisk's eyes. But when he turned, he saw Subaru had blinded the basilisk.

"NO! LEAVE THE BIRD! LEAVE THE BIRD! YOU CAN STILL SMELL AND HEAR THEM! _**KILL THEM!**_" Zoltel said.

Daisuke and V-mon stood up as the basilisk, bright, poisonous green, focused its attention on them once more. They went through one of the sides of the pathway, into a dark tunnel just as the basilisk lunged its head at them, breaking one of the stones of serpent.

As Daisuke and V-mon took a path in the tunnel that lead them to a dead end. They looked back and saw the basilisk closing in.

Daisuke grabbed a stone and threw it at another side, capturing the basilisk's attention enough for it to follow it, giving the duo the chance to head back to where Hikari and Toreda were.

"Yes, Motomiya, V-mon. The process is nearly complete. In a few minutes, Yagami Hikari will be dead, and I will cease to be a memory. Lord Zoltel will be back. _Very much **alive**_." Zoltel said.

The basilisk suddenly appeared from the pool in front of them.

"That's it, I'm done running! Daisuke!" V-mon said.

Daisuke nodded.

"Digimental Up!" Daisuke said.

"V-mon Armor Shinka!"

"Moegaru Yuuki (Blazing Courage) Fladramon!"

"Knucke Fire!" Fladramon launched fireballs from his fists as Daisuke put on the Sorting Hat.

"Please…Please help me!" Daisuke thought.

He suddenly felt something heavy on his head. He took it off to see a sword. It was a sword, its handle glittering with rubies.

Daisuke pulled out the sword and climbed to the top of Suruberu's head, where Fladramon was.

"Joining the party?" Fladramon asked as he continued launching fireballs at the basilisk.

"Yes." Daisuke said as he slashed the basilisk's snout.

The basilisk backed away, momentarily, before slamming Fladramon against the wall and knocking Daisuke to the side, nearly falling of the head of Suruberu although Daisuke managed to hold on.

Daisuke quickly climbed back up and grabbed he sword, which was falling off the head and impaled it in the basilisk's head while Fladramon used "Fire Rocket" and flew threw the basilisk's head, covered in flames.

Daisuke felt a searing pain in his arm. As he took out the sword from the basilisk, he noticed a fang stuck to his arm. He was poisoned. The basilisk fell dead to the side, while Daisuke's started losing focus and fell into the pool.

"Daisuke!" Fladramon said as he dived into the pool and grabbed Daisuke, and got him out of the pool.

As Daisuke crouched onto the floor and Fladramon devolved to V-mon, Zoltel laughed.

"Remarkable, isn't it? How quickly the venom of the basilisk penetrates the body. I guess you have less than a minute to live. You'll be with your dear Mudblood mother soon, Daisuke." Toreda asked. "Funny, the damage a silly little book can do. Especially in the hands of a silly little girl."

Daisuke and V-mon glared at him. Daisuke then took the diary from Hikari's hands and opened it.

"…What're you doing?" Toreda said, the fear evident in his voice as Daisuke raised the basilisk fang. "Stop! NO!"

Daisuke stabbed diary with the basilisk fang, ink pouring out of the diary like blood. Toreda screamed as a beam of light appeared on his chest. He moved forward to grab Daisuke when he stabbed another section of the book. Another beam of light appeared on Toreda as he wailed in pain. Daisuke then closed the diary and stabbed it one last time, making Toreda scream even louder, before exploding in particles of light that faded away.

Hikari woke up an instant later, gasping. She sat up and saw Daisuke and V-mon.

"Daisuke-kun, V-mon…I'm so sorry…" Hikari said.

"Hikari-chan…Why didn't you tell us?" Daisuke asked.

"I…At first I wasn't sure it was me. I tried to deny it. I wanted to believe it was someone else. Maybe Koaku. But when the news came that it wasn't Koaku…I tried to continue to deny it, but it became harder and harder as time passed. I tried to tell you this morning, but I got so afraid! I swear I didn't mean to! Toreda took over me somehow." Hikari cried.

"…Hey, hey, come here. It's okay." Daisuke said as he hugged her with his good arm.

"Daisuke-kun, you're hurt!" Hikari said as Subaru swooped down beside him.

"You were amazing, Subaru…I guess I was just too slow." Daisuke said as tears started falling from Subaru's eyes.

Just as darkness started embracing Daisuke. Dying didn't seem so bad. And suddenly everything was coming back to him.

Daisuke looked down to see Subaru's tears had healed him.

"Of course. Scottish Golden Heads tears have healing powers." Daisuke said. "…Don't worry, V-mon, Hikari-chan. we're going to be okay."

V-mon and Hikari hugged Daisuke, before they stood up and walked out of the chamber.

"I'm so expelled! What are Mom and Dad and Taichi-oniichan and Agumon going to say? What's Tailmon going to say?" Hikari said, realization finally hitting her.

"Hikari, let's think about that when we get out of here." V-mon said.

They arrived to find Takeru and Patamon had managed to shift all the rocks.

"Hikari-chan/Hikari!" Takeru and Pataomn said as they ran and hugged the girl.

"We were so worried." Patamon said.

"Thanks, Patamon." Hikari said. "…Urameshi-sensei?"

"Long story short, he's a fraud, he takes credit for other people's work after erasing their memory, tried to do the same with us, backfired." Takeru said.

"He's a fraud?" Hikari asked, surprised.

"Yeah, we nailed it." Takeru said. "Daisuke, why do you have a sword?"

"Long story." Daisuke said as Subaru appeared, flying above them.

He appeared to want them to hold onto him. Daisuke grabbed his leg, and then grabbed onto Hikari, who grabbed Takeru, and he grabbed all the others, and they flew out of the tunnels, back to Moaning Mamoru's bathroom.

"Oh, you're still alive." Mamoru said, looking sadly at Daisuke.

"No need to sound so gloomy about it." Daisuke said.

Subaru then let out a roar, and started walking away. The group slowly followed him to Damaro and Hyokomon's office.

* * *

I hope you liked it. Thank you guest and D-nasty for reviewing. I'll finally be finishing this story in the next chapter, and please, review.


	17. Dobu's Reward

I do not own anything.

* * *

The group walked into the room to see Damaro, Hyokomon, Nakamura, White and BlackPawnChessmon, the Yagamis, Agumon, and Tailmon.

As soon as the group passed the door, and everyone noticed Hikari, her family and friends immediately went rushing to hug her.

"Hikari! Oh my God, you're alive!" Hikari's mother said as she hugged him.

"How?" Nakamura asked.

Hikari looked at Daisuke, who slowly approached Damaro's table and placed the sword, basilisk fang, and Nazo's diary on the table.

Daisuke then explained everything that happened in the Chamber of Secrets. He left out the part of Nazo's diary and Hikari. He didn't want to get her into trouble.

"What I don't understand is how Lord Zoltel managed to enchant Hikari-san while my sources tell me he is currently in a forest in Albania?" Damaro asked.

Daisuke and V-mon felt a sense of relief wash over them.

"You-Know-Who? Enchanted Hikari?" Hikari's mother said. "But Hikari's not…Hikari hasn't been…has she?"

"It was this diary. Nazo wrote it when he was 16." Daisuke said, showing them the diary.

"Briliiant. Of course he was probably the most brilliant student Butaibo ever had." Damaro said, making the others look at him bewildered. "Very few people know that Lord Zoltel was once called Nazo Toreda. I taught him myself 50 years ago. After he graduated he traveled far and wide. Disappeared. Sank himself so deep into the Dark Arts, consorted the very worst of our kind, underwent several dangerous, magical transformation, that when he resurfaced as Lord Zoltel, he was barely recognizable. Hardly anyone connected Lord Zoltel to that once handsome boy who was once Head Boy."

"But what does Hikari have to do with him?" Taichi asked.

"I…I've been writing in his diary." Hikari said, her voice shaky.

"Hikari! What have I thought you? Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can see where it keeps its brain." Hikari's father said. "Why didn't you show it to me or your mother?"

"I don't know! I found it inside one of the books Mom got me. I assumed someone forgot it there." Hikari said.s

"You mustn't be too hard on Yagami-san. She is a victim, older and wiser wizards have fallen victim to Zoltel's charm. I recommend she got to the infirmary to rest and have some hot chocolate. Might cheer her up."

The Yagamis nodded. Hikari's parents thanked Daisuke, Takeru, V-mon, and Patamon repeatedly, before they left, accompanied by Nakamura.

"You four do realize you have broken enough school rules to get you for expelled?" Hyokomon asked.

"…Yes, sir…" V-mon said.

"With that said, it's only fair that you receive special rewards for services to the school and 200 points each for Goono." Hyokomon said with a smile.

"…Thanks, sir." Patamon said as the group looked at each other, beaming.

"Now, Takaishi-san, Patamon, would you have an owl deliver this to Tartaros. I believe we want our ground keepers back." Damaro said as he gave Takeru a letter, and he and Patamon left. "Daisuke, V-mon…first we want to thank you. You must have shown us real loyalty down there. Only that could have called Subaru to you. Next, I sense there's something troubling you."

"…It's just…well, sir, you see…I…I couldn't help but notice some similarities between Nazo Toreda and me." Daisuke said.

"And what do you think?" Hyokomon asked.

"I'm not similar to him! I'm in Goono!" Daisuke said. "But…Sensei, the Sorting Hat said I would have done well in Suruberu. For a while I thought **I** was the heir of Suruberu. V-mon and I can speak Parseltongue."

"Daisuke-san, you and V-mon can speak Parseltongue because Lord Zoltel, who is the last remaining descendant of Suruberu, can speak Parseltongue. If I'm not mistaken, on the night he gave you that scar, he transferred some of his powers to you the night he gave you that scar. Not that he intended to, though. And V-mon can speak Parseltongue because he's your partner, and you two share a special connection." Damaro said.

"Zoltel transferred his powers to me?" Daisuke said.

Damaro and Hyokomon nodded.

"Then the Sorting Hat was right! It saw Suruberu's powers in me. I should be in Suruberu!" Daisuke said.

"And yet you're in Goono. Listen, Daisuke-san, V-mon. You have many qualities Suruberu Sanabara prized in his hand-picked students. His own very rare gift, Parseltongue; resourcefulness; determination. So why are you in Goono?" Damaro asked.

"Because I asked it to put us there." Daisuke said.

"_Exactly_, Daisuke-san, _exactly_! And that's what makes you very different from Nazo Toreda. It's our choices, Daisuke-san, V-mon, that determine who we truly are, far more than our abilities." Damaro said.

"If you want further proof, I suggest you take a good look at the sword." Hyokomon said.

Daisuke grabbed the bloodstained silver sword by the handles, covered in rubies, and read the name on the hilt.

GOONO GODAI

"It would take a real Goono to pull that out of the hat." Hyokomon said.

Just then, a furious looking Koaku Yozei entered the room. And behind, covered in bandages, was Dobu.

"So, you returned. Even after the governors suspended you, you still saw fit to come back to Butaibo." Yozei said, the fury evident in his voice.

"Well, you see, Yozei, the other 11 governors contacted me today. When they heard Yagami Susumu's daughter had been killed, they wanted Hyokomon and I back here at once. Seems they thought we were the best men for the job after all. Strange tales they told us. They seem to think you had threatened to curse their families in case they didn't agree to suspend us."

Yozei and Tsukaimon lightly gulped, becoming even more pale, but the anger still evident in his voice.

"Well, have you stopped the attacks yet?" Yozei asked. "Have you caught the culprit?"

"We have." Hyokomon said.

"Well?" Tsukaimon said. "Who was it?"

"The same person as last time. Zoltel. Except this time he was acting through the means of someone else. By means of this diary." Damaro said.

Daisuke and V-mon, however, were watching Dobu, who was pointing at the diary with his head and at Yozei with his finger, followed by banging his head against his fist.

"I see…" Yozei said.

"A clever plan. Because if Motomiya-san and V-mon here, along with Takaishi-san and Patamon hadn't discovered the book, Yagami Hikari might have taken all the blame. No one would ever have been able to prove she hadn't acted on her own free will…"

Yozei said nothing, his face suddenly masklike.

"And imagine what might have happened…The Ishidas, one of our most prominent pure-blood families. Imagine the effect Ishida Hiroaki and his Muggle Protection Act if a close friend of his family was discovered attacking and killing Muggle-borns. Very fortunate the diary was discovered and Nazo's memories were wiped out. Imagine the consequences otherwise." Hyokomon said.

"…Yes, well…Let us always hope Motomiya-san and V-mon will always be there to save the day…" Koaku Yozei and Tsukaimon said, glaring at Daisuke and V-mon.

"Don't worry. I will be." Daisuke and V-mon said, glaring back.

"By the way, don't you want to know how Hikari-chan got hold of the diary?" Daisuke asked.

"How am I supposed to know how a stupid little girl got hold of it?" Yozei said.

"Because you gave it to her." Daisuke said. "At Blossoms and Fairs. You picked up her Transfiguration picked and put it inside, didn't you?"

"Oh really?" Yozei said, his face inching closer to Daisuke's. "Why don't you **prove it**?"

Daisuke's silence, accompanied by his glare, was exactly what Yozei needed.

"Come on, Dobu." Yozei said as he and Tsukaimon started leaving, and Yozei kicked Dobu out the door. They could hear Dobu squeling in pain all the way down the corridor.

Daisuke and V-mon felt a hot surge of anger and hate course through them. Daisuke started pulling his wand out of his pocket, ready to curse Koaku when Damaro interrupted him.

"Daisuke-san. Remember, sometimes, the best solutions come from the most simple ways." Damaro said.

Daisuke thought long and hard about what he said, before coming up with an idea.

"Sir, would you mind lending me a sock?" Daisuke said.

Damaro gave him an old sock, before Daisuke and V-mon took it and the diary and went after Yozei.

"Koaku-san! KOAKU-SAN!" Daisuke said as he ran up to Yozei. "You forgot something."

Daisuke gave Koaku the diary.

"What the?" Yozei said, before throwing away the diary, that was caught by Dobu. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Just giving back what's yours." V-mon said.

Yozei and Tsukai glared at them, before they started walking away.

"Open it." V-mon said to Dobu.

"Come, Dobu."

"Master gave Dobu a sock." Dobu said in disbelief.

"I didn't give you a…" Yozei became silent once he saw a sock in Dobu's hand.

"Dobu is free." Dobu said with happiness, the biggest smile gracing his face.

Yozei looked to see Daisuke and V-mon grinning.

"You lost me **my** SERVANT!" Yozei shout as he pulled out his wand from his cane and pointed it threateningly at them.

"You shall not harm Motomiya Daisuke and V-mon!" Dobu shouted baack as he stepped in between them and Yozei and launched some kind of spell from his hand, knocking Yozei back.

Yozei then stood up furiously, sweeping his expensive coat from the dust of the floor.

"Your parents were meddlesome fools, too. And some day, you'll meet the same stick end." Yozei said.

He and Tsukaimon then hurried out of sight.

"Motomiya Daisuke and V-mon are far greater than Dobu knew. Motomiya Daisuke and V-mon set Dobu free." Dobu said.

"Least we could do, Dobu. Just one thing we don't understand, you said this had nothing to do with Zoltel." V-mon said.

"A clue, sir, the Dark Lord, before he changed his name, could be freely named, you see?" Dobu said.

"Right, Dobu. Thanks for the help. Just promise to never try to save our lives again." Daisuke said with a smile.

Dobu gladly smiled back at him.

"I better get going now. Our friends, Miyako and Hawkmon, should be up by now. There's a feast and I want to be there for them."

And with that, Dobu hugged Daisuke and V-mon.

"Motomiya Daisuke and V-mon are far greater than Dobu knew!" Dobu said. "Farewell, Motomiya Daisuke and V-mon!"

And with a snap of his fingers and loud crack, Dobu vanished.

(Later that night)

Daisuke, Takeru, Hikari, V-mon, Patamon, and Tailmon, and the Erabareshi Kodomo sat at the table, partying. They had been to several other feasts, but never one quite like this one. This was by far the greatest feast they had ever had.

"Hello, children." A familiar spectral figure said, appearing above them.

"Ogai-san! You're back!" Mimi said.

"Indeed, I am. It's so good to be back." Ogai replied.

"It's good to have you back." Jyou said.

"Thank you. Now, I'll let you enjoy your feast. Have a good day." Ogai said as he floated away.

Jerai and Kotemon then came over.

"Hey, Daisuke-san. I just wanted to say I'm sorry for having ever suspected you and thanks, to you and V-mon, for saving us." Jerai said.

"No problem. Just glad to have you back." Daisuke said as he and Jerai, and V-mon and Kotemon shook hands, before the two Chuhorus left.

"Hey, Daisuke, look who's here." Rei said, pointing his head at the end of the hall.

The others turned to see a restored Miyako and Hawkmon standing at the entrance of the Great Hall.

Everyone quickly stood up and Daisuke and Miyako ran at each other, along with V-mon and Hawkmon, and they hugged each other happily. Miyako and Hawkmon then went and hugged the others. Hikari was tearing up, apologizing multiply to them for what she did.

"Hey, no need to get sad, it wasn't your fault." Hawkmon said as Miyako hugged her best friend.

Miyako was then about to hug the last person she still hadn't, when she saw it was Ken. They hesitated for a moment, and then decided to awkwardly shake hands.

"It's good to have you back, Miyako-san." Ken said.

"It's good to be back." Miyako replied.

"Just kiss, you two, we know you want to get together." Daisuke said, earning him punch in the chest from the two.

"I can't believe you solved it all without me." Miyako said.

"We had tons of help form you." Takeru said.

"We couldn't have done it without you." Patamon said.

"Thanks." Miyako replied.

Damaro suddenly stood up, making everyone sit down quietly.

"Before we continue, let us have a round of applause for Moyashi-sensei, Lalamon, and Madam Nopshu, whose Mandrake juice has been successfully administered to all who had been petrified." Damaro said as the whole Great Hall started clapping. "Also, as a school treat, all exams have been cancelled."

Everyone once again started clapping and cheering, with the exception of Miyako and Hawkmon, who looked bumped out by the news.

Just then, the doors at the entrance of the Great Hall opened. Everyone turned to look and saw it was Hengai and Muchomon.

"Sorry we're late." Hengai said as they walked down the hall.

"The owl who was supposed to deliver our release documents got all lost and confused. Some bird named Zaru." Muchomon said.

The group looked at Takeru and Patamon, who blushed and smiled sheepishly at Damaro and Hyokomon, who smiled back.

Hengai and Muchomon then stopped in front of the group.

"I'd just like to say that…if it weren't for you, Daisuke-san and V-mon…and Takeru and Patamon…and Miyako and Hawkmon, of course, I'd still be stuck you know where." Hengai and Muchomon said. "So, um, I'd just like to say…Thanks."

Daisuke and V-mon slowly stood up.

"…There's no Butaibo without you, Hengai-san/Muchomon." Daisuke and V-mon said, before hugging Hengai and Muchomon, who patted their head.

Damaro and Hyokomon then started clapping, followed by Nakamura, WhitePawnChessmon and BlackPawnChessmon. Daisuke and V-mon then did the same, and soon, the whole Great Hall was standing, clapping and cheering and rushing to hug Hengai and Muchomon.

The next thing was the announcement that Urameshi wouldn't be joining them next year to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts.

And finally, the House Cup going to Goono for the second year in a row, thanks to Daisuke, Takeru, V-mon, and Patamon's 800 points.

Yes, this was definitely the best feast so far.

The rest of the final term passed by in blaze of sunshine. Everything was back to normal at Butaibo, except with a few minor changes. There were no more Defense Against the Dark Arts classes, although the group got enough of that. Koaku Yozei was fired as school governor, and Koaku Ryu and Dracomon no longer walked around acting as if they owned the place, instead resentful and sulky. Hikari, on the other hand, looked perfectly happy again.

They used the last days at school to play around and practice dueling. The others noticed Daisuke was getting very good at using the Disarming Charm.

And too soon was the time when they had to board the Butaibo Express back to Shibuya Station.

"I can't believe another full year already went by." Takeru said.

"Time flies, huh?" Ken said.

"So, how pissed and proud were Jun and Lunamon at you?" Takeru asked.

"Really proud, but really, really pissed." Daisuke and V-mon replied.

"It's just their way of showing that they care for you." Tailmon said.

"Yeah, I guess." V-mon said.

"Any plans for the holidays?" Hikari asked.

"Not really, just gonna try to relax and enjoy the break. Who knows, next year might be just as crazy." Daisuke said.

And together, they all walked out of the train and took the elevator into the Muggle world.

* * *

There, I finally finished it. Sorry it's a day late. But I hope you all liked it, please review, and thank you to those who followed this story to the end.


End file.
